George Fox University right fielder Derrick Jones hit an eighth inning run-scoring single to give the Bruins a 9-8 victory over Eastern Connecticut State University in the finals of the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship Sunday at Fox Cities Stadium.

Eastern Connecticut All-America pitcher Joey Serfass gave up a single to designated hitter Stephen Donohoe to open the inning. Serfass then muffed the play on C.R. Braniff's sacrifice bunt to put two on with no outs. The runners advanced one base on a double steal, and Serfass walked first baseman Josh Sargent to load the bases.

Catcher Greg Dombek sent a sacrifice fly to right to score Donohoe, and Braniff moved up to third, which set the stage for Jones' game-winning hit.

Third baseman Tye Tinner, Peterson, and Braniff each collected a pair of hits, while the latter two drove in a pair of runs each and combined for four runs scored.

The loss was Serfass' first of the season, and it snapped Eastern Connecticut's six-game NCAA Tournament winning streak. Adam Hevenor led the Warriors at the plate, with two hits and four driven in.

The win went to All-America pitcher Scott Hyde, who allowed one hit over the final two innings and struck out four. He improved his record to 13-1.

It was a see-saw affair from the get-go. After a Braniff single in the first inning, shortstop David Peterson homered to left to give George Fox a 2-0 lead. But Eastern Connecticut came right back with two runs of its own in the second.

With one out, Bruins starter Mike Beck plunked Marc Garofalo and Randy Re. After getting first baseman Chris DeSantis to pop out to shortstop, Hevenor smacked a 1-2 offering into left field for a game-trying triple.

George Fox took the lead back in the bottom of the second, and neither team scored in the third before the Warriors again took the lead back in the fourth, and gave it up again in the same inning.

Finally, in the fifth, it looked as if the Warriors would pull away. Dwight Wildman led the inning off with a home run deep to leftcenter field. With one out, Garofalo lined a double into left field.

DeSantis followed a Re strikeout with a walk to put runners at first and second with two out before Hevenor ripped a double into right to make it a 7-6 affair.

The Bruins are now guaranteed a berth in the championship game, scheduled for Tuesday afternoon. Eastern Connecticut will face the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, in the next game this afternoon, while George Fox will face Aurora University in the nightcap.

George Fox needs just one win Tuesday to win the national title.