The Faulkner University Eagles won their first-ever NAIA Baseball National Championship, defeating the Lewis-Clark State Warriors 11-4 in the final. RHP Johnny Shuttlesworth got his 16th win of the season, and was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. (The record for wins is 19, set by Dan Quisenberry in 1975.) He allowed 14 hits over 7 1/3 innings, but only four earned runs. He threw 122 pitches.
The Eagles got all the runs they needed in the second inning, jumping on Warriors starter RHP Ryan Sells. Sells also plays shortstop for the Warriors (he batted .338 for the season), and this was only his fifth start. The winning run came on a two-RBI single by DH Michael Cruz.
The Warriors had some chances to get back in the game. The best one was in the bottom of the fourth. They started the inning with two straight singles, and had the bases loaded with one out, but the Eagles turned the only double play of the game to get Shuttlesworth out of the jam.
RF David Bishop hit a solo home run in the seventh inning. He was 3-for-5 for the game, with two RBI and two runs scored. Cruz finished 2-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored. Attendance: 4,265
Making it to the final was a breakthrough for Jeremiah Robbins, the Warriors' first-year Head Coach. This is the first time, since the NAIA adopted Direct Qualification in 2009, that the Warriors have won more than one game in the tournament.
Box score and play-by-play
NAIA press release: Faulkner (Ala.) Wins First-Ever World Series Title
OF Antonio Kendrick of Faulkner won the Charles Berry Hustle Award. He had seven hits in the tournament. SS Josh Silver of Lee won the Gold Glove award.
All four of the teams making their first trip to Lewiston acquitted themselves well. Missouri Baptist won two games, finished fourth. Northwood (TX) got the no-hitter by Cody Faulkner. Sterling was on the losing end of that no-hitter, and lost by only 1-0.