WASHINGTON, Pa. – The Westminster baseball team advanced to the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Championship game after winning both elimination games at the 2022 PAC Championship Tournament on Friday.
In game one, No. 4 Westminster won, 8-2, over No. 2 Saint Vincent. The Titans then won, 10-7, over No. 3 Grove City to advance to the PAC Title game for the first time since 2012.
"It feels pretty good to be honest with you," said head coach Pat Riley. "Today was a heck of a day. It's one you're going to remember different contributions across the board. We had guys do things they have never done before and its pretty remarkable. We'll take it all in and we have an opportunity to win a championship tomorrow. We'll have a quick memory, bring this energy tomorrow and see if we can do it."
Westminster (24-18) scored first off the bat of senior
Seth Schrader (Fredonia, NY / Fredonia) who connected on an RBI-double to right center field in the first inning, scoring sophomore
Logan Murgenovich (Aliquippa, PA / Central Valley) who got on with a single. In top of the third, Saint Vincent (24-14) tied the game and threatened to take the lead with bases loaded and no outs. First-year pitcher
Ryan Gibbons (Ellwood City, PA / Lincoln), however, ended the threat with back-to-back strikeouts and a ground out. A two-run home run to left field by
Ryan Jolin (Williamsport, PA / Williamsport Area) in the fourth inning, the first of Jolin's collegiate career, broke the tie to put the Titans up 3-1. The next inning, sophomore
Carter Chinn (Grove City, PA / Grove City) got in on the home run fun with a two-run shot for the second-straight day, extending Westminster's lead to 5-1. The Titans added insurance with an RBI-double by first-year
Braeden Campbell (Glenshaw, PA / Shaler) in the sixth and an RBI-single by Schrader in the eighth. Gibbons improved to 5-2 on the season after only allowing two earned runs off three hits and had seven strike outs. Sophomore
Logan Exler (Verona, PA / Serra Catholic) earned his first career save with a three-inning, no-hit shutout of relief.
The Titans started their second elimination game strong with another two-run homer, this time courtesy of Murgenovich – the first of his collegiate career. After Grove City (28-14) scored a run in the bottom of the first, Westminster added three runs in the fifth – including a pair of RBI-singles by Murgenovich and senior
Austin Webb (Wadsworth, OH / Wadsworth). In the bottom of the fifth, the Wolverines took their first lead, 7-5, with a six-run inning. Westminster answered with four runs in its next at-bat and led 9-7; Webb scored the tying run with an RBI-walk and sophomore
Matthew Randza (Beaver Falls, PA / Blackhawk) scored on a wild pitch for the go-ahead run. Sophomore
Kolton Banfi (Harrisville, PA / Franklin Area) improved to 3-0 on the season, after only giving up one run off four hits in 4.2 innings of relief. Murgenovich went 4-for-5 with a game- and career-high five RBIs.
Westminster will play top-seeded No. 25 Washington and Jefferson in the PAC Championship game tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. If the Titans win the first game, they will face W&J again at 3:30 p.m. for the PAC Title and the NCAA automatic qualifier.
