David Smith collected three hits and scored three runs and Jamison Miller tossed eight strong innings, leading William Jewell to a 15-1 victory over Bellevue University in the opening game of the 2011 McDonald’s NAIA Championship Opening Round on Thursday here at Brooks Stadium. With the victory William Jewell advances to play Cumberland University tonight at 6:30 p.m.
William Jewell (34-19) scored 14 runs in the final four innings of the game, breaking open a 1-1 tie with three runs in the sixth. The Cardinals added two more in the seventh, three in the eighth and six in the ninth.
Miller (9-2) labored through the second inning, allowing a run on two hits, but the righthander settled down thereafter, giving up five hits in eight innings. He walked two and struck out four, retiring 16 of 18 hitters between the third and eighth innings.
Freddie Adamson hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning for WJC, while Cory Eilers added two RBIs and two runs scored and Tom Herrera and Tyler Harrison each drove in two runs.
Bellevue starter Eric Locke (7-2) cruised through five innings before running into trouble in the sixth. He allowed four runs on five hits in 5.1 innings with three walks and four strikeouts. Two Bruins (31-21) reliever gave up 11 runs on eight hits with five walks.
Bellevue will now face the loser of Tennessee Wesleyan and Southern Poly at 10 a.m. on Friday.
Bellevue took an early lead after a one-out single from Tyler Pavel in the second inning. The runner was almost picked off, but he came around to score on a double to leftcenter by Brandon Thompson.
The Cardinals tied the contest in the fourth when mith doubled down the rightfield line, stole third and scored on a groundout by Harrison.
William Jewell took advantage of a tiring Locke in the sixth inning, as Jason DeMore was hit to leadoff and Eilers drew a four-pitch walk. After failing to get down the bunt, Smith singled up the middle, scoring a run and putting runners on the corners.
Harrison then executed the suicide squeeze, plating Eilers, and an RBI single to rightcenter from Joe Summers scored Smith, giving the Cardinals a 4-1 edge and chasing Locke from the contest.
In the seventh Adamson led off with a single and moved to third when Robert Greco’s pickoff attempt got away. He scored on a grounder from Eilers, who stole second and came across when Harrison’s grounder to short was booted by Pavel, giving WJC a 6-1 advantage.
The Cardinals added to the lead in the eighth, with Herrera drawing a one-out walk before a single to center from Willie Gaball. Adamson then drilled a 2-0 pitch over the wall in rightfield, his third homer of the season.
In the ninth Smith led off with a bunt single, Harrison was hit and Summers walked, loading the bases. Pinch-hitter Randy Cruz plated a run with a single down the rightfield line and Herrera plated two more runs with a single. Pinch-hitter Tommy Thornton pushed across a run with a sacrifice fly before Eilers and pinch-hitter JP Bartmess each scored runs with RBI singles.
