LA VERNE, Calif. --- Big innings and great pitching lead to good things for baseball teams. That exactly what the University of Lynchburg got on Friday afternoon in California as the Hornets exploded for six runs in the eighth inning and got another great postseason start from Wesley Arrington on the way to a 7-1 victory at the University of La Verne in the first game of the best-of-3 super regional round of the Division III Baseball Championship.

Lynchburg (34-15) is now one win away from returning to the final round of the championship as the Hornets continue their 2023 national title defense. They will square off with La Verne (30-15-1) at least once on Saturday with game two of the series set for 2:00 p.m. ET.

If the Leopards win Saturday's first outing, a winner-take-all final for the super regional crown will take place approximately 45 minutes following the first game.

Arrington and La Verne lefty Niko Urquidi were locked in a pitcher's duel early. It was Arrington that blinked first in surrendering the game's first run in the sixth inning on a single by Matthew Diaz.

The Hornets, however, made Urquidi work throughout the first six innings and forced him from the contest before the seventh frame was complete, having thrown 122 pitches and after allowing shortstop Brandon Garcia to score the tying run following a fielding error at third on a second baseman Benton Jones' grounder.

Arrington was a rock for a fourth straight postseason game, working eight innings on the way to improving to 9-2 on the season. He is 4-0 in the postseason -- including two wins in the ODAC Tournament that featured a no-hitter of fellow NCAA super regional competitor Randolph-Macon College. Arrington has worked 34.2 innings the last four games and has allowed just three runs on 12 hits with 27 strikeouts.

Lynchburg's offense supported their big righthander with a six-run bottom of the eighth -- the Hornets were the designated home team despite playing at La Verne's home site.

That pivotal frame started with a bases-loaded hit by pitch of centerfielder O'Kelly McWilliams IV to force home first baseman Josh Gjormand. Garcia then walked to gift the Hornets a second tally as third baseman Gavin Collins crossed the plate. Then came the first of two two-run at bats. Jones singled through the right side to bring around designated hitter Joe Munitz and McWilliams. Then right fielder Quinn Madden reached on a throwing error by the Leopards' shortstop, allowing both Garcia and Jones to score to make it 7-1 Hornets.

Colin McGuire relieved Arrington for the ninth inning, with Lynchburg's starter having thrown 113 pitches. McGuire worked a scoreless frame with one punchout.

Lynchburg and La Verne will play for one of eight spots in the championship finals on Saturday. Division III's final event will be hosted by the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) at Classic Park in Eastlake, Ohio, from May 31 through June 6.