"It's great," Kansas Wesleyan coach Dave Dawson said. "Dale Harder battled up there today. He pitched well and made some great pitches when he had to. We played hard overall, and got some big hits off a great pitcher."

Campbellsville struck first in the top of the first, plating a run when Brian Chase singled home Nathan Quesenberry, who had doubled earlier in the inning.

Despite getting hits in its first two at bats, Wesleyan was unable to plate a run until the third. Again, like so many times this year, the Coyotes got their work done with two outs in the frame. Travis Irwin was hit by a pitch with one out, and Brandon Mathes followed with a single to give Wesleyan two runners on. After a pop out, Alex Hall singled to right to score Irwin to even things out at 3-all.

Harder retired seven in a row before giving up a leadoff single to Chris Curley in the top of the fourth, but the lefty from Whittier, Calif., wasn't shaken. Curley stole second base, but Harder would strike out the side in the inning, working around an error at first to end the inning.

Campbellsville took the lead in the top of the sixth when Quesenberry tripled with one out and then scored on an error by Mike Pettibone at third base on a ball hit by Chase. However, again, Harder was not phased, and promptly recorded the last two outs of the inning via strike out, striking out the side again to get out of the jam.

Wesleyan exploded for three huge runs in the bottom of the inning, and could have added more if coach Dave Dawson had not made a substitution error. Pettibone recanted his error in the top of the inning with a leadoff single, and after a flyout and a hit batter, he scored on Brian Burke's single to right. Matt Royal then came in to courtesy run for Burke and was forced out at second on a fielder's choice by Nick Allaire that also scored Romo. Brock Pettyjohn then doubled down the line in left to score Allaire to make it 4-2 Coyotes. Campbellsville then made a pitching change to the sidearm throwing Spencer Frantz, and that's when Dawson made the mistake.

"I got greedy and didn't think of what had already happened in the inning," Dawson said. "Royal hit really well against the other submariners we had seen this season, including the KCAC pitcher of the year (Ottawa's Eric Cordell), and I put him in to pinch hit. It's just one of those things where you get caught up in the heat of the moment and don't think, and that's what happened."

Royal singled, but Campbellsville coach Beaufort Sanders came out of the dugout and explained the situation, that a courtesy runner cannot pinch hit for another batter in the same inning, and Royal was called out for the third out

Harder quickly moved through the top of the seventh and the Coyotes added a huge insurance run in the bottom of the seventh, that proved to be the difference maker. Mathes singled with one out, and move to second on a stolen base. He then advanced to third on Pettibone's ground out and scored on Hall's single to center to make it 5-2.

Wesleyan ran into a snag in the top of the eighth, as the Tigers made things a little interesting. After a lead off lineout, Quesenberry singled to left to give the Tigers their first runner. Harder then struck out Curley, but Chase followed with a single off Harder and Jimmy Voelker followed with a double to score Quesenberry. Alex Ponich then singled to second base to score Chase to get Campbellsville within a run at 5-4. Harder would end the threat getting pinch hitter Colin Bryan to pop out to end the inning.

Wesleyan loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning, but couldn't get any insurance runs across. Burke led off with a single, and courtesy runner Corey Shorette moved to second on Steve Cilladi's pinch hit sac bunt. Pettyjohn then grounded out to move Shorette to third and back to back walks to David Lovett and Irwin loaded things up, but a strike out would end the inning and leave the bases loaded.

Harder was able to get Nick Smith to fly out for the first out of the ninth, but then gave up back to back hits to Nick Bertolucci and Tyler Derby. Derby moved to second on defensive indifference, and Quesenberry reached on a fielder's choice to third that Pettibone fired home to nail Bertolucci at the plate for the second out. Dawson then went to the bullpen for Casey Barnes to record the final out. Curley stepped up the plate and bounced a ball to third that Pettibone then fired to second for the game ending force, giving the Coyotes a 5-4 win over the Tigers.

Harder went eight and two-thirds for the win, striking out 11 and walked none, and Barnes got the one out save. Burke and Hall both went 3-for-4, while Hall drove in two runs. Mathes added two hits for the Coyotes at the dish as well.

Eric Mattos took the loss for Campbellsville, giving up four runs on seven hits in five and two-thirds innings of work. He struck out five and did not issue a walk. Frantz worked an inning and a third, giving up one run on two hits, and Jon Bourassa pitched the eighth, giving up one hit while walking two and striking out one. Three different players had two hits each to lead the Tiger offense.

"We need to stay focused, we can't look ahead," Dawson said. "Whoever we play tomorrow is gonna be good, and we have to be ready."

Wesleyan improves to 40-15 overall, and advances to the Championship Game of the Lindenwood field of the Opening Round tomorrow at 5 p.m., at Lou Brock Stadium. Wesleyan will face the winner of the first contest of the day on Thurdsay, between Campbellsville and the winner of the final Wednesday contest, which will either be Lindenwood or William Penn. A win sends the Coyotes to Lewiston, Idaho, for the school's first ever appearance in the 53rd Annual AVISTA-NAIA World Series. If Wesleyan loses, the same two teams will meet Friday at 1 p.m., in the deciding game of the double elimination tournament bracket.

-- KWU SI --

Story submitted by David Toelle, Kansas Wesleyan University Sports Information Director