Curt Courtwright bluffed towards home with the bases loaded in the 10th inning, drawing a balk from pitcher Aaron Meade and scoring the winning run for a 4-3 victory for Team Thomas in the Missouri State baseball Fall World Series Tuesday afternoon at Hammons Field. Team Thomas took a 2-1 lead in the series.

    Courtwright reached on an error to begin the inning, Chris Playter singled and Ryan Modglin walked to load the bases with two outs before the winning run scored.

    The game was sent to extra innings in the top of the ninth after Dallas Hord smacked an RBI double to knot the score at 3-3. Courtwright and Playter had given Team Thomas the lead in the eighth, as Courtwright hit an RBI single and Playter drove in a run on a fielder’s choice. Playter also homered in the third, finishing the game 2-for-6 with two RBIs.

    Team Mattson scored the game’s first two runs. Freshman Kevin Medrano hit an RBI single in the second and Zak Swyhart drew a bases-loaded walk in the third to put his team up 2-0.

    Cody Aycock started for Team Mattson, pitching five innings of one-hit ball, allowing just the homer to Playter.

    Sean Toler pitched five innings of relief for Team Thomas, yielding just one hit, and J.C. Casey pitched the final 2.1 frames, earning the win and surrendering two hits and an unearned run.

    The series resumes Thursday at 10 a.m. at Hammons Field.