COLUMBIA, Ky. – Campbellsville University fell short in a give-and-take Mid-South Conference championship game Thursday, as No. 23 Lindsey Wilson College took a late lead and held on for a 10-7 win and automatic bid to the NAIA Opening Round.

The Tigers took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first as the home team on the scoreboard. Tanner Nielsen and Michael Bush both singled to start the inning, followed by an RBI single for Keaton Neeb. Aaron Schwoebel capped the scoring with a one-out, two-run homer to right.

LWC immediately answered, and in similar fashion. Manuel Ozoria drew a leadoff walk and scored on an RBI double my Mitchell Osnowitz. Derrick Shugart hit a two-run homer to even the score, 3-3.

In the top of the fourth, Jeandro Andino and Osnowitz singled to start the inning, while Russ Morse hit a sac fly to score Andino for the Blue Raiders' first lead, 4-3. Ryan Squires was thrown out at the plate in the bottom of the fourth, averting a potential tying run.

Campbellsville tied it, 4-4, in the fifth when Brandon Johnson legged out a fielder's choice, narrowly beating a potential inning-ending double play to score Bush from third.

Lindsey Wilson posted a three-run top of the sixth, which proved to be the lead change that Campbellsville was unable to overcome. Ty Davis drove in the first run with a double, while Osnowitz scored on an error and Shugart came around to score on a wild pitch by CU reliever Bret DeRooy. In the bottom half of the inning, Campbellsville managed only one run off a two-out RBI single by Bush. CU worked the bases full in the inning, but left all runners stranded.

Both teams added a run in the seventh. Andino hit a solo home run in the top half of the inning, while Travis Hayes drove in Carlos Torres. Both teams were scoreless in the eighth.  

LWC insured its lead with two runs in the ninth. Jeff Kerian led off the inning with a walk and advanced on a throw into shallow left field by Johnson on a fielder's choice try. Osnowitz, who was 3-for-4, was walked intentionally before Davis tripled down the line to score both.

CU led off the bottom of the ninth with Schwoebel hitting a hard hit ball through the legs of the first baseman. He later scored on a pinch-hit base hit by Angelo Simmons, but Michael Rosario made a diving stab to end the inning and retire Hayes for the win.

DeRooy picked up the loss in relief, after he took over for Tylar Schmunk and was later pulled for Drew Pettit and Allen Hewey. Daniel Pulliam got the win after reliving LWC stat England Smith. Chris Erker had the save for three innings of work.

Combined, the Tigers and Blue Raiders had 27 hits, a season-high for a Campbellsville game this season.

Lindsey Wilson College (42-17) awaits next week's announcements for NAIA Opening Round brackets to find out where it plays. Campbellsville (32-19) will travel to Nashville, Tenn., for the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Mid-East Regional, May 8-11, at Trevecca Nazarene University.