WICHITA, Kan. - The San Diego Force began Championship Week of the 2018 NBC World Series on Saturday, following the Opening Ceremony and parade on Friday night.  The contest featured the Force and the NJCAA National Team, with the NJCAA team winning a 12-inning heartbreaker.

The Force seemed to be in control for the majority of the game, holding a 6-2 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth before the National Team posted a four-run inning to knot things up.

Donnie Roethler led of the top of the third with a single to left, before advancing on a sacrifice bunt by David Hudleson (College of Southern Idaho). Hudleson reached on an error on the play, putting two on, and a Ryan Williams (California Baptist) single loaded the bases.  Junior Coleman (Riverside City College) grounded into what proved to be a productive double play, knocking in Roethler to put the Force on the board. Joshua Sidley (San DIego Christian) kept the inning going with an RBI single to double the advantage to 2-0.

A pass ball in the bottom of the fourth gave the NJCAA National Team their first run of the ball game.

Jake Pulcheon (Houston Baptist) busted the game open in a big way in the top of the sixth, crushing a grand slam to left center.  To load the bases, Sidley and Kory Brown (Sonoma State) reached on back-to-back singles and Phillip Steering (Hawai’i Hilo) battled through a long at-bat to work a walk.  

The NJCAA team quickly answered back, scoring on a wild pitch in the home half of the inning.

Ryan Losman (Southeast Missouri State) finished his stellar outing in the seventh inning, going six and a third.  The ace of the Force struck out eight while walking two and was charged with two earned runs.

AJ Wood (Cosumnes River College) and Andrew Chin (Boston College) combined for a scoreless seventh and eighth innings to hold the Force’s 6-2 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth.

NJCAA battled back to even the contest at 6-6 after putting up a four spot in the home half of the ninth to send the game into extras.

Dalton Morrow (Southwest Baptist) came on for the last two and two thirds, and gave up one hit.  That one hit, however, proved to be the game winner for NJCAA as they walked-off with an RBI double to win 7-6.

Sidley and Williams both had strong performances at the plate, each collecting three hits, while Coleman and Hudleson each notched two.  Pulcheon led the way with four RBI, thanks to his sixth inning grand slam.

The Force return to Lawrence-Dumont on Monday to face the Everett Merchants at 1 p.m. (11 a.m. Pacific).