Santa Barbara, Calif. — Among the many reasons for The Master’s College earning a berth in the 2016 Avista-NAIA Baseball World Series, three stand out: Conner Menez, Brad Lohse, and Jason Karkenny.

The first two set the table earlier in the week and Karkenny took care of the rest Thursday afternoon, grinding out a complete game of a 5-4 victory over William Carey (Miss.) in what turned out to be the championship game of the NAIA National Championship Opening Round-Santa Barbara Bracket.

The win sends the Mustangs (41-17) to Lewiston, Idaho, the site of the World Series, for the third time in program history and the first since 2013. The 10-team double elimination event begins on May 27.

It will feature a Mustang team that “cruised” through the Opening round in just three games but still had to hold off a pesky Crusader team that was running on fumes, playing five games in three days.

That’s the way it played out on Thursday afternoon even after the Mustangs jumped on Crusader starter Mason Woodrow for four runs in the top of the first inning. Max Maitland ignited the frame with a single up the middle and moved to second base on Brandon Van Horn’s base hit down the left field line.

An out later, a wild pitch moved up both runners 90 feet and they both scored moments later on David Sheaffer’s two-out, two-run single to left field. Then, Collin Nyenhuis stepped to the plate and deposited one over the left field fence for his 15th home run of the season and a 4-0 lead.

The Crusaders had chances to carve into that deficit in their initial two at-bats, however, Karkenny stranded a runner at third base in the first and two more in the second. He wasn’t so fortunate in the third when Carey used a Mustang error and a hit batsman in front of a Nick Lowe three-run homer to close within one run.

Following a scoreless fourth, the Mustangs got one of those runs back in the fifth. With one out, Van Horn reached on an infield single and then sprinted around the bases to score on Michael Sexton’s double to left-center field.

Karkenny made that 5-3 lead stand up through the middle innings and into the eighth when the Crusaders made it a one-run game again on a James Land solo homer.

Going to the last of the ninth, there was no doubt in Coach Monte Brooks’ mind that Karkenny could finish the job. Despite giving up four earned runs and scuffling along the way, the junior righthander rewarded his skipper’s faith and completed an amazing three days of no bullpen use. After hitting a batter with one out, Karkenny got a popout and then induced a game-ending fielder’s choice that set off a celebration that could be felt in Idaho.

Going nine innings for the second time in 2016 (the other was a no-decision in a 10-inning game), Karkenny struck out five and improved to 11-5.

His teammates rapped out 10 hits with Maitland collecting three and Van Horn and Sexton chipping in with two apiece.

Commenting on his team’s accomplishment following the game, Brooks said, “We are grateful that the Lord allowed us to experience an exciting championship. We are honored to be heading to the World Series and representing the GSAC.”