The William Jewell Cardinals, competing in the NCAA Division II Regional baseball tournament for the first time in their three-year NCAA history, fell the Ashland (OH) University Saturday 5-3 in St. Charles, Missouri.

The Cardinals held leads of 2-0 and 3-1 in the game, but four Eagle runs in the final two innings ended the Jewel year at 38-19.

Jewell had 10 hits in the game including Luke Lucchetti's 5-5, which included a triple, a run scored and a stolen base. Hunter Brown went 2-4 with a triple and Andrew Miller had a 3-4 day which included two doubles and an RBI.

Nick Farleigh took the ball as the Cardinal starter, pitching seven complete innings and two batters in the eighth inning, with no decision. The junior allowed three runs on eight hits, walking one.

Chris Mancha relieved in the eighth inning, inheriting two runners from Farleigh,and allowed both to score; the first scored on a double play, and the second scored on a passed ball to tie the game.

In the ninth, Mancha got into trouble early by giving up a leadoff hit, followed by a sacrifice and an RBI single as Ashland took the lead. After a fly out and an intentional walk, another RBI single drove Mancha from the mound and Dylan Pollack came in to get the final out.

The Cardinals threatened in the bottom of the ninth with a walk to Dane Erbst and Lucchetti's fifth hit of the game, but ended the season with a fielder's choice.

Mancha (7-2) took the loss for the Cardinals. There were no errors in the game and Jewell turned one double play.

It was the first known meeting between the two schools in baseball.