MASON, Ohio - Campbellsville University hung on to a narrow 3-2 lead Wednesday night to down Olivet Nazarene University and improve to 2-0 in Pool B at the NCCAA World Series. The win closed out the first day of play, which also saw an 11-1 CU win over Emmanuel College.

The Tigers road the arm of transfer Bret DeRooy, who threw less than 110 pitches in the complete game win, allowing only one earned run off three hits and two walks.

Wednesday's NCCAA World Series nightcap had its share of oddities, seeing runs scored after an error started the game, one on a double steal, another on a balk and a controversial inning-ending double play late in the game.

Tanner Nielsen led off the game with a hard hit ball right at first baseman Ryan Kern, but the ball popped through his glove into right to put a runner on.

ONU catcher Alex Cavender was patient to gain a one-out free pass in the third, turning an 0-2 count into a walk. After giving up his first base runner of the game, DeRooy was called for a balk to put a runner in scoring position with an out. Justin Fahy singled with two outs deep behind second base, beating out Nielsen's throw by a step.

Kern and Matt Davenport delivered a pair of one-out singles in the fourth, putting ONU runners on the corners with one out. Behind in the count, 1-3, DeRooy got a check swing and then painted the plate for a strike out to retire Kevin Lasowski. With a 3-2 count against Josh Altmann, Davenport broke toward second, distracting the left-handed DeRooy allowing Kern to steal home.

The maroon and gray Tigers quickly added two runs to regain the lead, 3-1. Campbellsville put the leadoff man to start the fifth after Ben Heller hit Shane Woodson, his second of three hit batters in the game. Nielsen followed with a four-pitch walk. After the runners moved up a base with a wild pitch, Heller was called for a balk to score Woodson and regain CU's lead. Michael Bush drove in Nielsen with an insurance RBI groundout to second.

Olivet also scored in the fifth after Fahy reached on a wild throw by Bush and scored on a ball hit by Schneider through Travis Hayes' legs at short.

The close game grew more interesting in the seventh when Ryan Squires drew a leadoff walk and Woodson was hit by a pitch to put two on with no outs. McCamish pinch ran for Squires and both runners stole on a missed third strike by Nielsen for the first out. Bush attempted a squeeze play, which caught McCamish and Woodson in limbo. Woodson reached third as McCamish was being tagged out by the catcher. The umpires called Woodson out by rule that the bag belonged to McCamish, saying he returned to third before the tag, and then called McCamish out for leaving the bag after McCamish thought he'd already been called out on the tag.

After a lengthy protest, the Tigers took the field to close out the game. Nielsen booted a leadoff error but later made back-to-back ground ball outs to secure the win.

Heller (8-4) recorded the loss for Olivet Nazarene, allowing three runs (two earned) off four hits, two walks and three hit batters. Paul Griffin and Lasowski appeared in relief for ONU.

The World Series continues Thursday with Campbellsville (36-19) meeting Covenant College at 2 p.m. EDT and Arizona Christian at 8 p.m. EDT. The top two teams from each pool will advance to the semifinals Friday evening.

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