NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. (pacathletics.org) - An RBI infield single by freshman shortstop Ava Karpa (Coraopolis, Pa./Moon) in the bottom of the seventh inning broke a scoreless tie and propelled Westminster College to a walk-off 1-0 victory in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Softball Tournament Championship game over Waynesburg University Saturday afternoon in New Wilmington.

The victory gave the Titans (25-11) their second PAC title in program history and first since 2005.

It was also the first time the PAC title was won in a walk-off since Saint Vincent College beat Bethany College 1-0 with a run in the last of the seventh inning to win the 2016 championship. Saint Vincent also beat Bethany in a walk-off 1-0 victory the game before to force an If Necessary game in the 2016 Tournament.

Westminster was pushed to the winner-take-all, If Necessary game of the Tournament by Waynesburg, who won a thrilling 5-2 decision in 11 innings in the first championship game. The two-time defending champion Yellow Jackets reached the championship round against the Titans for the third consecutive year by knocking off Allegheny College 4-3 in nine innings in Saturday's first game.

Game I - Waynesburg 4, Allegheny 3 (9 innings)
Saturday's first game set the tone for a great day of softball with an extra-inning battle. Waynesburg plated solo runs in the second, third and fifth innings for a 3-0 lead, with two of those runs coming off an RBI single by freshman Trinity Edge (Franklin, Pa./Franklin) in the third and she added a sacrifice fly in the fifth. That lead was erased in the bottom of the fifth when the Gators (26-12) struck for three runs, the first on an RBI double by junior Aleya Belardinelli (Melbourne, Fla./West Shore) and then RBI singles by juniors Olivia Devries (Kent, Ohio/Field) and Sophia Godzak (Belle Vernon, Pa./Belle Vernon).

The game carried to the ninth inning still knotted at 3-3 when the Jackets took the lead when senior Ella Brookman (Washington, Pa./Chartiers-Houston) tripled to knock in sophomore Bella Demark (Carnegie, Pa./Bishop Canevin), who doubled to start the inning. Allegheny had one last chance at bat, but Edge, who only allowed one base runner over the final three innings, set the Gators down in order to earn the win and send Waynesburg to the title game.

The Jackets had 10 hits in the game, three by Brookman and two from DeMark. Allegheny (26-12) totaled nine hits, as Godzak was 3-for-4 and Devries had a pair, including a double.

Game J - Waynesburg 5, Westminster 2 (11 innings) 
Westminster was one out away from winning the title, but a solo homer kept Waynesburg alive and they would win in extra innings. The teams exchanged RBI doubles in the first and the Titans took a 2-1 lead in the third on an RBI double by fifth-year Mackenzie Latess (New Castle, Pa./Laurel). That lead stood until the seventh when, with two outs, Brookman launched a game-tying solo home run to right field to tie the score. 

Each team had chances after that, as Westminster put two runners on in the seventh, but couldn't score and the Jackets did the same in the top of the ninth. In the bottom of the ninth, Westminster nearly won it with a two-out single with a Titan on second, but with the runner waved home, the throw from Jackets' outfielder Breanna Rice (Morgantown, W.Va./Morgantown) was on target to cut down the potential winning run at the plate and the game carried on.

Waynesburg seized the lead for good in the 11th with three runs, as Edge singled in the go-ahead run and after a sacrifice fly, she came home on a triple by Rice for a 5-2 lead. Westminster put two runners on in the bottom of the 11th to bring the tying run to the plate, but a ground out ended the threat and sent the tournament into the If Necessary game.

Brookman had another big game for the Jackets, going 3-for-4 with a double, homer, two RBIs and two runs scored, while Demark had three hits as well. Edge earned her second win of the day after allowing one run in seven innings of work. The Titan bats were led by Latess, freshman Ellie Hsieh (York, Pa./Central York) and junior Sydney Lokay (North Huntington, Pa./Norwin), who all had two hits.

Game K - Westminster 1, Waynesburg 0
The final game of the Tournament was a classic pitcher's duel featuring Westminster senior Liz Malczak (Grove City, Pa./Grove City) and Waynesburg junior Sydney Wilson (Pentress, W.Va./Clay-Battelle). The Most Outstanding Player from the last two PAC Tournaments, Wilson shut down the Titans, allowing just two hits through the first six innings.

Meanwhile, Waynesburg managed to have traffic on the bases all game, getting at least one runner on base every inning. That included the sixth when they put runners on second and third with one out, but Waynesburg's squeeze attempt was unsuccessful. Then in the seventh, the Jackets had two runners on, but Malczak got out of the threat when a fielder's choice ended the inning.

That set the stage for Westminster to win it in the seventh. Hsieh reached on a leadoff error, went to second on Malczak's bunt single and the bases were loaded following a walk. Waynesburg then turned a double play on a fly ball to left-center field and Demark threw behind the runner at second to double her off, leaving runners on the corners with two outs. Karpa stepped to the plate and flared a pop up towards second that took a strange bounce and eluded the infielders to allow the winning run to score and Westminster to clinch the title.

Malczak was selected as the Most Outstanding Player of the Tournament after her complete game shutout in the final game, as she scattered eight hits and two walks while striking out three in seven shutout innings. 

As the winner of this year's championship tournament title, Westminster has secured the league's automatic qualifying bid to the Division III Softball Championship, with teams and regional site selections announced on Monday, May 13. Regional round play is scheduled for Friday-Sunday, May 17-19 and the Super Regionals will be played Friday-Saturday, May 24-25.  
 

2024 PAC Softball Championship Tournament Hosted by Westminster College--New Wilmington, Pa. Note: Times may be adjusted based on weather
Thursday, May 2 (at Westminster)
10 a.m.	Game A: No. 4 Grove City 3, No. 5 Bethany 2
12 p.m.	Game B: No. 6 Waynesburg 7, No. 3 Geneva 6
2 p.m.	Game C: No. 1 Westminster 5, No. 4 Grove City 3
4 p.m.	Game D: No. 6 Waynesburg 5, No. 2 Allegheny 4
Friday, May 3 (at Westminster)
9 a.m.	Game E: Grove City 8, Geneva 5
11 a.m.	Game F: Allegheny 3, Bethany 2
1 p.m.	Game G: Westminster 7, Waynesburg 4
3 p.m.	Game H: Allegheny 3, Grove City 2
Saturday, May 4 (at Westminster)
11 a.m.	Game I: Waynesburg 4, Allegheny 3 (9 inn.)
1 p.m.	Game J: Championship Game Waynesburg 5, Westminster 2 (11 inn.)
3 p.m.	Game K: If Necessary Game Westminster 1, Waynesburg 0