WASHINGTON, Pa. (pacathletics.org)--Top-seeded Washington & Jefferson College earned a 10-2 victory over No. 4 Westminster College in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) Baseball Championship Tournament title game Saturday afternoon.

The league’s four-team, double-elimination championship tournament was held Thursday-Saturday, May 12-14 at Ross Memorial Park in Washington.

The conference championship is W&J's third straight and 14th overall.

W&J (35-8) earned its spot in Saturday's title round with a 5-4 victory over No. 3 Grove City College (28-14) to open play Friday. Westminster (24-19) secured an 8-2 victory over No. 2 Saint Vincent College (24-14) in Friday's first elimination game before registering a 10-7 win over Grove City (28-10) in the second elimination game. 

W&J was making its 11th-straight appearance in the tournament's title round. Saturday was Westminster's first title round appearance since winning its second PAC title in 2012. This is the third-straight year the No. 1 and the No. 4 seeds met in the championship tournament's title round. 

As the PAC Championship Tournament winner, W7j has earned the conference’s automatic qualifying bid to the NCAA Division III Championship. Selections for the Division III Championship are scheduled to be announced Monday, May 16 with regional preliminary round play slated for Friday-Monday, May 20-22. Regional champions will compete in the Super Regionals, a best-of-three series, to determine the eight participants in this year’s Division III College World Series, scheduled for Friday-Wednesday, June 3-8. The Division III College World Series will be held at Perfect Game Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. 
 

Friday, May 13

PAC Championship Tournament [Game F] No. 4 Westminster vs. No. 1 W&J Ross Memorial Park--Washington, Pa.

Result: W&J 10, Westminster 2 Box score

W&J scratched out a pair of first inning runs... Junior Tyler Horvat (Irwin, Pa. | Penn-Trafford) led off the inning with a single and later scored on an RBI double by senior Peter Kalinski (Washington, Pa. | Saint John's College)... After a base hit, senior Nate Rush (Wheeling, W.Va. | The Linsly School) scored on an RBI groundout by junior Evan Sante (Pittsburgh, Pa. | Plum)... Horvat drove in W&J's third run in the second on an RBI groundout that scored freshman Jacob DeLuca (Clarence, N.Y. | Canisius) after he led off the inning with a double... Sophomore Joe Lehner's (Painesville, Ohio | Lake Catholic) two-out, RBI single plated junior Trevor Dean (San Diego, Calif. | Rancho Bernardo) to extend the W&J lead to 4-0 in the third... Senior Brandon Cooper (Oakdale, Pa. | West Allegheny) roped a two-out, two-run double for Westminster in the third to cut the deficit to 4-2... Sophomore Roman Samson (Tampa, Fla. | Berkeley Prep.) and Dean smacked back-to-back solo runs in the seventh that pushed W&J's lead to four, 6-2... It was Samson's ninth home run of the season... Kalinski and Sante had back-to-back two-run doubles in the eighth to extend the lead to 10-2... Senior Jameson Campbell (Painesville, Ohio | Riverside) improved to 10-1 with the win, allowing two runs (2 earned) on six hits with seven strikeouts and four walks in 6.0 innings pitched... W&J racked up 15 hits in the Game F win... Seven of the hits went for extra bases... Horvat went 3-for-6 with an RBI and two runs scored... Kalinski and Sante had three RBIs each... Senior Jason Gregovits (Avon Lake, Ohio | Avon Lake) was voted the Tournament's Most Outstanding Player... He hit .417 with a double, two triples, two RBIs and four runs scored... Senior Matt Costello (New Castle, Pa. | Union) went 3-for-4 Saturday... He hit a tournament-best .563... Senior Logan Minch (Grove City, Pa. | Grove City) took the loss for Westminster... He allowed six runs (6 earned) on nine hits with a strikeout and two walks in 7.0 innings.

 

Friday, May 13

PAC Championship Tournament [Game E] No. 4 Westminster vs. No. 3 Grove City Ross Memorial Park--Washington, Pa.

Result: Westminster 10, Grove City 7 Box score

Sophomore Logan Murgenovich (Aliquippa, Pa. | Central Valley) staked Westminster to an early 2-0 lead after smacking a two-run home run in the top of the first... Grove City scored a run in the bottom of the first on senior Bubba Hamilton's (Garner, N.C. | Waynesboro, Pa.) sacrifice fly... Westminster tallied three runs in the fifth to grab a 5-1 lead... Following back-to-back RBI singles by senior Austin Webb (Wadsworth, Ohio | Wadsworth) and Murgenovich, Webb scored on a passed ball... Grove City rallied with a six-run bottom of the fifth to snag a 7-5 lead... Junior Anthony Tambellini (Pittsburgh, Pa. | Montour) keyed the offensive outburst with a base-clearing double... Westminster responded with four runs in the sixth to snag a 9-7 lead... Sandwiched between RBI singles by Costello and Murgenovich were a bases loaded walk to Webb and a wild pitch that later scored sophomore Mathew Randza (Beaver Falls, Pa. | Blackhawk)... Westminster added an insurance run in the eighth when Murgenovich roped an RBI double to score Webb after his one-out walk... Sophomore Kolton Banfi (Harrisville, Pa. | Franklin) earned the win after throwing 4.2 relief innings... He allowed one run (1 earned) on four hits with two strikeouts and a walk... Sophomore Logan Exler (Verona, Pa. | Serra Catholic) made the start for Westminster... In 2.0 innings he allowed one run (1 earned) on four hits... Murgenovich went 4-for-5 with a double, a home run, five RBIs and a run scored... Costello went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a pair of runs scored... Grove City freshman Nico Rodriguez (Stafford, Va. | Mountain View), junior C.J. Taylor (Lancaster, Pa. | Hempfield) and sophomore Lucca Baccari (Irwin, Pa. | Penn-Trafford) each had three hits... Sophomore Nick Guidas (Gibsonia, Pa. | Pine-Richland) left after 5.0 innings with a no decision... He allowed seven runs (6 earned) on nine hits with four strikeouts and a walk... Sophomore Elijah White (Zelienople, Pa. | Portersville Christian) took the loss, allowing two runs (2 earned) on two hits with a pair of walks in one-third of an inning.

 

Friday, May 13

PAC Championship Tournament [Game D] No. 4 Westminster vs. No. 3 Saint Vincent Ross Memorial Park--Washington, Pa.

Result: Westminster 8, Saint Vincent 2 Box score

Westminster struck first when senior Seth Schrader (Fredonia, N.Y. | Fredonia) doubled home sophomore Logan Morganovich (Aliquippa, Pa. | Central Valley) in the bottom of the first inning... Saint Vincent sophomore Julian Santana (Harrisburg, Pa. | Central Dauphin East) drew a bases loaded walk in the third... Senior Ryan Jolin (Williamsport, Pa. | Williamsport) smacked a two-run home run in the fourth and sophomore Carter Chinn (Grove City, Pa. | Grove City) delivered a two-run home run in the fifth to open up a 5-1 lead for Westminster... Senior Zach Barberich (Middletown, Md. | St. John's Catholic Prep.) drilled a two-out RBI single in the sixth to trim the Saint Vincent deficit to three, 5-2... A two-out, run-scoring double from freshman Braeden Campbell (Glenshaw, Pa. | Shaler) upped the Westminster lead to 6-2 in the bottom of the sixth... Schrader drove in two more runs with a single in the bottom of the eighth... Freshman Ryan Gibbons (Ellwood City, Pa. | Lincoln) moved to 5-2 with the Game D win... He allowed two runs (2 earned) on three hits with seven strikeouts and five walks in 6.0 innings... Sophomore Logan Exler (Verona, Pa. | Serra Catholic) secured his first save of the season, striking out two and walking one in 3.0 scoreless innings.... After a leadoff walk in the seventh, he retired nine-straight hitters... Schrader went 3-for-4 with a double and three RBIs... Jolin went 3-for-4 with a home run, two RBIs and two runs scored... Senior Casey Jones (Georgetown, Pa. | South Side Beaver) suffered the loss after allowing five runs (5 earned) on seven hits with four strikeouts and two walks in 5.0 innings.

 

Friday, May 13

PAC Championship Tournament [Game C] No. 3 Grove City vs. No. 1 W&J Ross Memorial Park--Washington, Pa.

Result: W&J 5, Grove City 4 Box score

Junior Tyler Horvat (Irwin, Pa. | Penn-Trafford) drilled an RBI double to left in the third inning, scoring senior Jason Gregovits (Avon Lake, Ohio | Avon Lake) from second and giving W&J a 1-0 lead... In the fifth, Horvat pushed the lead to 2-0 with a run-scoring double... Senior Nate Rush (Wheeling, W.Va. | The Linsly School) followed with an RBI single and senior Peter Kalinski (Washington, Pa. | Saint John's College) scored Rush on a double to left to extend the W&J lead to 4-0... Grove City struck for three runs in the fifth to pull to within one, 4-3... Freshman Mally Kilbane (Olmsted Falls, Ohio | Olmsted Falls) drew a bases-loaded walk that scored sophomore Luca Baccari (Irwin, Pa. | Penn-Trafford) after he led off the inning being hit by a pitch... Junior C.J. Saylor (Lancaster, Pa. | Hempfield) ripped a two-run double to left center... Rush reached on a fielder's choice in the top of the ninth that scored freshman Jacob LaDuca (Clarence, N.Y. | Canisius) and pushed W&J's lead to 5-3... Freshman Sam DiStefano (Fairview, Pa. | Fairview) scored on a passed ball in the bottom of the inning to trim the lead to 5-4... Horvat went 2-for-5 with two doubles, two RBIs and a run scored... Gregovits finished 2-for-4 with a run scored... Senior Henry Litman (Marietta, Ga. | Walton) improved to 8-2 this season with the win... He allowed three runs (3 earned) on three hits with 10 strikeouts and three walks in 7.0 innings... Freshman Dante DiMatteo (Pittsburgh, Pa. | Fox Chapel) picked up his 10th save of the season... He allowed one run (0 earned) on two hits in 1.2 innings... Grove City freshman Evan Umland (Pasadena, Calif. | La Canada) fell to 6-5 with the loss... She allowed five runs (2 earned) on nine hits with six strikeouts and two walks in 8.0 innings... Saylor went 2-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored.

 

Thursday, May 12

PAC Championship Tournament [Game B] No. 3 Grove City vs. No. 2 Saint Vincent Ross Memorial Park--Washington, Pa.

Result: Grove City 8, Saint Vincent 7 Box score

Grove City scored four runs in the top of the first inning... Freshman Mally Kilbane (Olmsted Falls, Ohio | Olmsted Falls) smacked a two-run home run in the inning while freshman Nico Rodriguez (Stafford, Va. | Mountain View) and senior Jesse Clary (Cranberry Township, Pa. | Eden Christian) delivered back-to-back run scoring singles... Saint Vincent plated three runs on a hit and a pair of Grove City errors in the third inning... Sophomore Markus Williams (Sewickley, Pa. | Eden Christian) had a run-scoring single in the sixth and senior Bubba Hamilton (Garner, N.C. | Waynesboro, Pa.) hit his fourth home run of the season in the seventh to push Grove City's lead to 6-3... Freshman John Evans (New Brighton, Pa. | Our Lady of the Sacred Heart) scored on an error and sophomore Dimitri Gary (Sewickley, Pa. | Sewickley Academy) had an RBI single in the seventh to trip the lead to 6-5... Evans tripled in the eighth, scoring senior Casey Jones (Georgetown, Pa. | South Side Beaver) and evening the score at 6-6... Jones led off the inning with a double... Junior Jordan Sabol (Export, Pa. | Penn-Trafford) followed with a two-out, run-scoring single to stake Saint Vincent to a 7-6 lead... In the bottom of the inning Rodriguez cracked a two-run home run to left to push Grove City ahead 8-7... Freshman Shane Cato (New Castle, Pa. | Shenango) earned the victory for Grove City... He allowed one run (1 earned) on two hits in 1.1 relief innings... Grove City senior Tate Ostrowski (Essex, Mass. | Covenant Christian) left after 6.1 innings with a no decision... He allowed five runs (4 earned) on four hits with five walks and three strikeouts... Hamilton went 4-for-5 with a double, a home run, one RBI and two runs scored... Rodriguez finished 3-for-5 with a home run, three RBIs and a run scored... Junior Tyler Chrise (Harrison City, Pa. | Penn-Trafford) took the loss for Saint Vincent... He allowed two runs (2 earned) on four hits in 2.0 relief innings... Saint Vincent sophomore starter Jeremy Kruezweiser (Canfield, Ohio | Ursuline) left after 5.2 innings with a no decision... He allowed five runs (5 earned) on nine hits with three strikeouts on two walks... Sabol went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.

 

Thursday, May 12

PAC Championship Tournament [Game A] No. 4 Westminster vs. No. 1 W&J Ross Memorial Park--Washington, Pa.

Result: W&J 10, Westminster 9 (11 inn.) Box score

Sophomore Logan Murganovich (Aliquippa, Pa. | Central Valley) keyed Westminster's five-run second inning with a two-out, two-run double... With W&J training 5-2 after three innings, junior Trevor Dean (San Diego, Calif. | Rancho Bernardo) smacked a two-run home run before senior Peter Kalinski (Washington, D.C. | Saint John's College) delivered a two-run single that tied the game at 5-5... Down 8-7 going into the ninth, sophomore Carter Chinn (Grove City, Pa. | Grove City) gave Westminster a 9-8 lead with two-run home run... W&J junior Tyler Horvat (Irwin, Pa. | Penn-Trafford) evened the score in the bottom of the ninth with an RBI single... Horvat supplied the game-winning base hit in the 11th, scoring Dean following his leadoff single... Horvat exited after 7.0 innings with a no decision... He allowed six runs (2 earned) on 10 hits with five strikeouts... He went 3-for-7 with three RBIs and a run scored... Junior Cameron Hayman (Windsor, Calif. | Windsor) picked up his first victory of the season, allowing one walk in 1.0 inning of work... Dean finished 3-for-6 with a home run, one RBI and a pair of runs scored... Chinn went 3-for-6 with a home run, two RBIs and two runs scored... Senior Matt Costello (New Castle, Pa. Union) finished 3-for-4 with an RBI... Freshman Jake Vitale (New Castle, Pa. | Union) left after 6.0 innings with a no decision... He allowed five runs (3 earned) on eight hits with three walks and three strikeouts... W&J outhit Westminster 17-10... Thursday's Game A appearance was Westminster's first in the championship tournament since winning the PAC title in 2012.