(Orange City, IA) Northwestern lost to sixth-ranked Oklahoma City 9-4 in the first championship game in group five tournament play at the 2010 NAIA baseball championship opening round. With the win, the host Stars win the opening round tournament and will advance to the 10-team Avista-NAIA World Series later this month in Lewiston, Idaho. The loss ends the Red Raiders season with a 37-20 record, tying the mark for most wins in a season.

The Red Raiders, who lost to Oklahoma City 17-3 in the third game of the tournament back on Tuesday, fell behind early as the host Stars scored a run in the first and second innings. OCU, who came into the game averaging nearly 20 runs per game at the tournament with 11 home runs, erupted for five more runs in the third inning to take a 7-0 lead and chased NWC starter, Mike Zoellner.

Oklahoma City scored another run in the fifth inning off reliever Jesus Santoyo before Northwestern cut the lead in half with four runs in the sixth inning. Matt Negaard led off with a single, stole second and advanced to third on a single by Steven Englund. Matt Gray followed with a RBI single for the Raiders first run. Brad Payne came up to bat and reached on an error to load the bases. Chuck Stith belted a base-clearing, three-run double to put the score at 8-4.

The Stars added an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh off a solo home run by Matt Pressley, his second of the game. Northwestern, trailing 9-4, threatened in both the seventh and eighth innings but were unable to convert its opportunities.

Northwestern totaled eight hits, two each for Gray and Negaard. Stith went 1-for-3 with three RBIs. Zoellner (7-3) picked up the loss, going three innings and allowing nine hits and seven runs. Santoyo pitched very well in relief, giving up seven hits and two runs in 3.1 innings. Eddie Pantzlaff pitched the final 1.2 innings of scoreless relief. The Red Raiders end the season with a 37-20 record.