LEWISTON, Idaho – (Box Score) Senior left-hander Stetson Nelson stumped Tabor (Kan.) hitters for more than seven innings, as No. 6 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) started strong at the 2015 Avista-NAIA Baseball World Series with a 9-1 victory over the No. 3 Bluejays Friday at Harris Field.

“It was a good win,” said Embry-Riddle head coach Randy Stegall. “You always want to get that first win and get two days off.”

With the win, Embry-Riddle improves to 40-17 on the year and advances to play the winner of No. 2 Faulkner (Ala.) and No. 10 Vanguard (Calif.) Monday at 3 p.m. PDT. The Eagles are now 7-6 all-time in their first game at the World Series and have now won 40-or-more games in 14-consecutive seasons.

Nelson kept Tabor hitters off balance the entire game, allowing only one run and three hits in 7.1 innings of work. The Leesburg, Fla., native improves to 10-4 on the year. The 10 victories is a single-season best for Nelson during his career at Embry-Riddle.

“He (Nelson) competes and throws strikes, and sometimes when it looks like he’s losing it a little, he just dices guys up,” said Stegall. “He has three pitches he controls for strikes. Nobody else I’d rather have on the mound to start the series.”

Zac Grotz closed the door on the Bluejays, throwing 1.2 innings of hitless relief, including three strikeouts.

Offensively, the Embry-Riddle was equally dominant. The Eagles totaled 11 hits, including seven for extra bases. First baseman Hunter Bruehl, who entered the World Series hitting only .202, headlined a group of four individuals with multi-hit games. Bruehl was 2-for-3 from the dish with four RBI.

Following a 90 minute weather delay, Embry-Riddle made noise in the top of the second inning, as Enderson Velasquez sent the first pitch to deep center field for a leadoff double. Jacobs followed Velasquez’s lead with a single, before advancing to second on a wild pitch. Bruehl came through with a two-out double – his fourth of the season – down the left field line, scoring both Eagle base runners to give Embry-Riddle a 2-0 lead.

“I actually thought the rain delay helped us,” said Stegall. “I thought we were a little nervous at first, but the delay helped calm us down.”

Two innings later, Embry-Riddle added another run to take a 3-0 lead. Joshua Garcia drove home the first run of the inning with double to left-center, scoring Vaelasquez, who reached earlier via a walk. Garcia was thrown out trying to reach third, as the Tabor center fielder appeared to bobble the ball.

A double by Jacobs put another runner in scoring position for Embry-Riddle with one out, but the Eagles were unable to bring him home.

The Eagles tacked on another run in the fifth, before blowing the game wide open with four runs in the sixth en route to an 8-0 advantage. RBI doubles by Garcia and Jacobs kick-started the scoring for Embry-Riddle, before Bruehl blasted a two-run home run over the right-center field fence.

Bruehl’s home run is the first of the World Series and his first of the season. Bruehl entered the event with only one career home run as a member of the Embry-Riddle baseball club.

Tabor cut the deficit to 8-1 with a run in the bottom of the seventh, but failed to score again.

A Bluejay error plated an Embry-Riddle run in the top of the eight, pushing the Eagle advantage back to eight, 9-1.

Tabor’s Dustin Hurlbutt took the loss to fall to 10-3 on the year.

The Bluejays, who entered the championship hitting .336 as a team, only mustered a season low-tying three hits.

Stretch Internet, the NAIA’s official video-streaming company of 17 select NAIA national championship events, will be broadcasting the first 15 games of the 2015 Avista-NAIA Baseball World Series. The All-World Series package can be purchased for $20. Visit www.NAIANetwork.com for more information.

The Avista-NAIA Baseball World Series is a 10-team, double-elimination event hosted by Lewis-Clark State (Idaho). For more information on the 59th annual event, click HERE.