MASON, Ohio (May 22, 2015) – Baseball is a game of inches, it's said, and if a couple of plays had gone a few inches another way, Oklahoma Christian's baseball season might still be going.

Instead, it was top-seeded Fresno Pacific (Calif.) which caught the breaks on Friday in a thrilling National Christian College Athletic Association World Series semifinal game at Prasco Park. Baron Bower scored from third base on a one-out single to right field by Michael Tittle, giving the Sunbirds a dramatic 4-3 win in 12 innings.

Bad luck cost OC (35-22) the chance to take the lead in the top of the 10th inning. Cody Rosecrans doubled down the left-field line to lead off and took third on a sacrifice bunt by Zac Cobble. Jordan Lopez followed with a rocket shot back at pitcher Tanner Irwin, but the ball deflected off Irwin's leg, keeping it in the infield. That gave Tittle, the shortstop, the chance to fire home to catcher Travis Beck, who tagged out Rosecrans.

Bower singled with one out in the 12th off OC reliever Garett Hill, then stole second. OC catcher Austin Orth's throw just eluded shortstop Ben McKenzie and the ball scooted into center field, allowing Bower to move up to third base.

A few inches either way, on either of those plays, could have made a huge difference in the outcome.

"I am very proud of our guys," OC coach Lonny Cobble said. "That was a fun game to be a part of. We caught a bad break on Lopez's ball. It's just a break that didn't go our way. I thought we swung the bats good today and hit a lot of balls hard. It was just some bad luck at the end."

Fresno Pacific, the defending NCCAA champion, will face Lee (Tenn.) in Saturday's title game. The Sunbirds, like OC, are in the third (and hopefully final) year of the NCAA Division II membership process. Fresno Pacific also ended OC's season in 2014 in the NCCAA tournament, during pool play.

Fresno Pacific (38-18-1) struck first on Friday. Steven Lozier led off the fourth inning with a solo home run to right field off OC ace Dillon Endecott. Tittle followed with a single before Michael Hostetler hit a two-run homer to left field, making it 3-0.

When the Sunbirds loaded the bases with one out against Endecott in the fifth, Hill (5-2) came on in relief and went the rest of the way. The freshman right-hander threw a career-long 7 1/3 innings, allowing only five hits and one unearned run while walking none and striking out four, giving the Eagles a chance to rally.

They finally did in the seventh against Fresno Pacific ace Wilson Ashford. Kyle Lacy hit a leadoff home run to right-center field. Ben McKenzie singled and scored on a fielding error by Beck, which also allowed Orth to reach base.

Austin Peck pinch-ran for Orth, went to second on a wild pitch and advanced to third on a single to left field by Kolton Brown. Rosecrans then laid down a perfect squeeze bunt, allowing Peck to scamper home with the tying run.

Irwin (4-2) relieved Ashford with one out in the 10th and was in the right place at the right time to have Lopez's hard-hit ball deflect off of him, effectively ending OC's best extra-inning scoring threat.

Earlier Friday, the Eagles concluded pool play with a 3-1 mark after beating Trinity Christian (Ill.) 7-3 behind solid pitching from a pair of seniors – left-hander Garrett Sumpter and right-hander Matt Brown.

Sumpter (1-0) had pitched 7 1/3 innings all season before Friday but allowed the Trolls just one run over a career-long six innings of work. Brown threw the final three innings – also a career-long stint – to record his second save of the season.

Ryan Ward keyed a four-run first inning for OC with a two-run double to right-center field. The Eagles scored all four runs with two outs. OC eventually extended its lead to 7-1 before the Trolls picked up two runs in the eighth.

Trinity Christian (28-29) went 0-4 during the tournament. Brad Kopale (3-4) took the pitching loss for the Trolls.