NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – The Westminster baseball team lost, 8-5, in a non-conference game at home to La Roche in extra innings on Wednesday.
"Had a lot of guys get different experiences today which is always good," said head coach Pat Riley. "Playing in a close game, playing against a good team. That's what we want to build off of. That's two extra-inning losses in a row. We are playing close games and ultimately, we are figuring out some things, but we have to move forward. We have an important weekend ahead of us and we want to continue to play hard, end the right way heading into the playoffs."
Westminster (22-14) led early with a run in the first inning when sophomore
Matthew Randza (Beaver Falls, PA / Blackhawk) crossed the plate after leading off the frame with a triple – his team-leading fourth of the season.
La Roche (13-18) had a 4-1 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh. In the bottom half, the Titans rallied with four runs to take their first lead of the game. Junior
David Gearhart (Ashland, OH / Ashland) led off the inning with a home run to right field, the first of his career. Later in the inning, senior
Austin Webb (Wadsworth, OH / Wadsworth) scored Randza with a single for the go-ahead run.
The Redhawks tied the game in the ninth and scored three in the 10
th for the win. Titan senior pitcher
Logan Minch (Grove City, PA / Grove City Area) moved to 4-1 on the year in relief.
The Titans will close out the regular season as they host Washington & Jefferson on Saturday, May 7 in a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) doubleheader on Senior Day. Game one is set for 1 p.m.
