| Schedule/Results |
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| Sunday, May 8 |
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| Game 1 - 9:30 a.m. |
No. 3 East Stroudsburg defeats No. 2 Seton Hill, 5-2 |
Box Score |
ESU Recap |
Seton Hill Recap |
| Game 2 - 12:30 p.m. |
No. 1 Millersville defeats No. 4 California, 22-4 |
Box Score |
Millersville Recap |
California Recap |
| Game 3 - 3:30 p.m. |
No. 2 West Chester defeats No. 3 Gannon, 5-2 |
Box Score |
WCU Recap |
Gannon Recap |
| Game 4 - 6:30 p.m. |
No. 1 Mercyhurst defeats No. 4 Shippensburg, 8-3 |
Box Score |
Mercyhurst Recap |
Ship Recap |
| Monday, May 9 |
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| Game 5 - 9:30 a.m. |
Seton Hill defeats California, 6-1 (California eliminated) |
Box Score |
Seton Hill Recap |
California Recap |
| Game 6 - 12:30 p.m. |
Gannon defeats Shippensburg, 4-3 (Shippensburg eliminated) |
Box Score |
Gannon Recap |
Ship Recap |
| Game 7 - 3:30 p.m. |
Millersville defeats East Stroudsburg, 15-8 |
Box Score |
Millersville Recap |
ESU Recap |
| Game 8 - 6:30 p.m. |
West Chester defeats Mercyhurst, 5-2 |
Box Score |
WCU Recap |
Mercyhurst Recap |
| Tuesday, May 10 |
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| Game 9 - 9:30 a.m. |
Seton Hill defeats East Stroudsburg, 9-6 (ESU eliminated) |
Box Score |
Seton Hill Recap |
ESU Recap |
| Game 10 - 12:30 p.m. |
Mercyhurst defeats Gannon, 3-2 (Gannon eliminated) |
Box Score |
Mercyhurst Recap |
Gannon Recap |
| Game 11 - 3:30 p.m. |
Seton Hill defeats West Chester, 6-4 |
Box Score |
Seton Hill Recap |
WCU Recap |
| Game 12 - 6:30 p.m. |
Millersville defeats Mercyhurst, 6-3 |
Box Score |
Millersville Recap |
Mercyhurst Recap |
| Wednesday, May 11 |
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| Game 13 - 11:00 a.m. |
West Chester defeats Seton Hill, 8-3 (Seton Hill eliminated) |
Box Score |
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| Game 14 - 2:30 p.m. |
West Chester defeats Millersville, 9-7 (WCU wins championship) |
Box Score |
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Selection Show | Sunday, May 15 at 10 p.m.
Watch Here
WEST CHESTER WINS THE PSAC BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP, 9-7
BUTLER, Pa. - West Chester won the 2016 PSAC Baseball Championship on Wednesday afternoon, defeating Millersville, the top-ranked team in the country, 9-7. For the Golden Rams, it is the first conference crown since 2012, a year in which they also won the national title.
The Golden Rams had an unexpected star in the game, as Mike Deitz, who was in just his second appearance of the season, was able to hold down the prolific bats of the Marauders. Deitz had thrown just four innings all year, but finished Wednesday with 3.2 innings of work and just one run allowed.
West Chester was able to get to Reid Anderson early in the game, scoring five runs in the top of the second.
Nick Bateman started the inning with a double for WCU and was driven in on the next at-bat after Joe Sheeran singled through the left side.
After a fielder’s choice eliminated Sheeran, Anthony Salomone (FC) and Clay Harwick (HBP) were on base with Drew Diehl at the plate. Diehl singled through the right side of the infield, and Salomone was able to avoid a tag at the plate, giving the Golden Rams a 2-0 lead.
Two more runs came across for WCU after Jeremy Musser slipped in left field, allowing a fly ball to drop and two more Golden Rams to cross home plate.
Shane Dressler capped the inning with an RBI single.
In the bottom of the fifth, trailing 7-1, the Marauders were able to start the comeback, scoring three runs. Musser singled and scored a pair and would later go on to score on a sacrifice fly.
MVP: Drew Diehl
The Golden Rams put the lead out to five runs in the top of the seventh, plating a pair in a wild sequence. On a wild pitch with the bases loaded, Harwick took the chance and attempted to take home. Harwick was called safe at the plate, to the dismay of all those in black and yellow. Millersville coach Jon Shehan was ejected debating the call.
WCU would tack on another run in the inning on a bases loaded walk.
The 9-4 lead would eventually be trimmed down to 9-7, but the Marauders would be unable to complete the comeback.
With the tying run at the plate in the bottom of the ninth, Millersville lined into a double play, ending the game.
West Chester’s Diehl was named the MVP of the tournament, hitting above .500 with three doubles, a home run, and five RBIs.
WCU clinched the conference’s automatic with the win. The rest of the field will be announced at 10:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 15.
West Chester defeats Seton Hill, 8-3 (Seton Hill eliminated
Before recording an out, West Chester was able to put four runs on the board in the bottom of the first inning and would cruise to an 8-2 victory over Seton Hill, earning a spot in the PSAC Championship Game.
Drew Diehl led off the WCU frame with a solo shot down the right field line. The next two Golden Rams drew walks and Shane Dressler drove them home with a towering home run blast to right field.
The Griffins tried to come back, but were unable to get closer than three runs.
DAY THREE
Seton Hill defeats East Stroudsburg, 9-6 (East Stroudsburg eliminated)
In a rematch of an opening round contest, Seton Hill was able to avenge its previous loss to East Stroudsburg, winning an elimination game, 9-6.
Trailing 6-5 with six outs to go, the Griffins scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth to take a three-run lead. A sacrifice bunt moved men over to second and third with just one out, and Garret Vrbranic brought home the tying run with a single through the right side of the infield.
Matt Malacane then got an RBI on a fielder’s choice, beating out the double play. Malacane then stole second and scored on a Zac Heide single.
The two through five hitters for the Griffins went a combined 10-for-17 and drove in six runs.
Mercyhurst defeats Gannon, 3-2 (Gannon eliminated)
Gannon jumped out to a 2-0 lead on its crosstown rivals from Mercyhurst, but the PSAC West Champs were able to scored a run in each the sixth, seventh, and eighth and come back to defeat the Golden Knights, 3-2.
Daniel Elliott put the Lakers on the board with a solo home run in the sixth. An Austin Alonge RBI single in the seventh tied the score, and an eighth inning solo homer from Hank Morrison proved to be the game-winner.
In six innings of relief, Matthew Keating and Jake Hall were dominant for the Lakers, only surrendering a combined two hits and not allowing Gannon to score.
Hall was credited with his first win of the season.
Seton Hill defeats West Chester, 6-4
After losing its first game of the tournament, Seton Hill has now won three straight games and will be playing on the final day of the PSAC Championship. The latest victory for the Griffins came over previously unbeaten West Chester, 6-4.
A two-run home run from Zac Heide in the third started the scoring, and a pair of RBI singles in the sixth expanded the SHU lead to four.
WCU cut the lead in half in the top of the seventh, but the Griffins extended back to a four run advantage with a two-run bottom half.
The Golden Rams scored twice in the eighth, but it would not be enough, forcing a rematch between the two teams on Wednesday for a spot in the championship game.
The heart of the order was again crucial for the Griffins. Heide and Anthony Fanelli, the three and four hitters, combined to go 5-for-7 in the game.
Millersville defeats Mercyhurst, 6-3 (Mercyhurst eliminated)
Millersville is now the lone unbeaten team in the PSAC Tournament, taking care of last year’s regional champions from Mercyhurst, 6-3.
The Lakers were eliminated from the tournament with the loss and will wait to hear the next step in their postseason on the NCAA Selection Show on Sunday night.
The Marauders jumped out to a 5-0 lead after scoring three runs in the second inning and a pair in the third inning.
In the top of the sixth, Mercyhurst cut it to 5-3, but an insurance home run in the bottom of the frame from Dan Neff was more than enough for Millersville start Jim McDade, who is now 10-0 on the season.
McDade threw a complete game for Millersville, who will face the winner of the Seton Hill/West Chester rematch for the PSAC Championship.
DAY TWO
Seton Hill defeats California, 6-1 (California eliminated)
With both teams fighting to stay alive, Seton Hill was able to outlast California, winning 6-1 and eliminating the Vulcans from the PSAC Tournament.
GJ Senchak held the Griffins scoreless for the first four innings, but eventually yielded a run on a double steal in the fifth. In his final collegiate game, Senchak went a career-high 8.1 innings, allowing four earned runs.
All-conference honoree Chris Miller led Seton Hill with three hits.
The star of the game for the Griffins was senior pitcher Mike Bittel. Bittel threw a complete game two-hitter, allowing one run and striking out seven.
Gannon defeats Shippensburg, 4-3 (Shippensburg eliminated)
Gannon was able to advance in the PSAC Tournament with a comeback win over Shippensburg, eliminating the Raiders from postseason play.
GU had an early lead after a Kyle Cox solo homer in the second inning. In the third, Mark DeVita singled home a run, making it a 2-0 lead for the Golden Knights.
Shippensburg would cut the lead in half in the fourth and come back to take the lead in the fifth. The Raiders got back-to-back home runs to lead off the inning from eight and nine hitters Jake Kennedy and Cash Gladfelter.
A Shippensburg error in the bottom of the fifth allowed Gannon to tie the game and GU would take the lead for good in the eighth, and it would again be an unearned run due to an error.
Gannon’s David Cricks got the win with three innings of shutout relief.
Millersville defeats East Stroudsburg, 15-8
The Millersville bats continued to tear through the the 2016 PSAC Championship, scoring 15 runs in the win over East Stroudsburg.
In just two games, Millersville has now score a combined 37 runs in the tournament.
The Marauders were methodical in their approach on Monday afternoon. The first 11 runs scored by the PSAC East Champions were driven in by a single.
All of the players in the Millersville lineup got a hit, and the top six in the order each had multiple hits.
East Stroudsburg had numerous chances in the game, recording 17 hits and leaving 18 on base.
West Chester defeats Mercyhurst, 5-2
West Chester was able to topple the PSAC West Champs from Mercyhurst in the second round of the double elimination tournament, 5-2.
The game was a pitchers’ duel to begin with, but the Golden Rams were able to break out in the fifth, scoring five runs.
Those five runs would provide more than enough cushion for the West Chester duo of Eric Close and and Josh McClain. The two combined to allow just two runs on five hits. Close got the win, while McClain pitched the final three innings.
Mercyhurst had the bases loaded with one out and the tying run at the plate in the top of the ninth, but would only manage to score once.
DAY ONE
East Stroudsburg defeats Seton Hill, 5-2
PSAC East Co-Pitcher of the Year Matt Festa threw a complete game for the East Stroudsburg Warriors in the opening round of the PSAC Championship, helping ESU earn the 5-2 win.
Festa allowed five hits over nine innings, surrendering just a pair of runs.
ESU catcher Steven Zimmerman led the team with three hits in four at-bats, including a triple. Zimmerman scored two runs on the day.
Millersville defeats California, 22-4
The PSAC East Champions and the top-ranked team in the country put on an impressive display in their first round matchup with California, winning 22-4.
Cal started the game with a 1-0 lead, but the Marauders responded with 13 straight runs.
Dan Stoltzfus went 4-for-5 with nine RBIs. He had two doubles and a home run in the contest.
PSAC East Co-Pitcher of the Year Brandon Miller matched the other recipient of the award, earning the win after six innings of work.
John Brogan, Mitch Stoltzfus, and Jeremy Musser went back-to-back-to-back with home runs in the eighth inning for Millersville.
West Chester defeats Gannon, 5-2
PSAC East No. 2 West Chester was able to topple Golden Knights from Gannon, 5-2.
GU got on the board in the top of the first, but WCU instantly responded with three runs in the bottom half of the inning. Justin Roman hit a two-run homer to left field to give the Golden Rams a lead that they would never relinquish.
Nick Stallings earned the win for West Chester, while Mike O’Neill picked up a three inning save.
Mercyhurst defeats Shippensburg, 8-3
Shippensburg was able to put a scare into top-seeded Mercyhurst and the PSAC West Pitcher of the Year Colin McKee, but Mercyhurst prevailed with a five-run eighth inning to win 8-3.
Through 11 outs, McKee was perfect, but with two outs in the fourth, Shippensburg got a double, single, walk, and a triple to score three runs and take a 3-1 lead.
The Lakers methodically tied it up, and then took a controlling lead in the eighth that the Raiders could not come back from.
Cameron Balego scored the winning run after being hit by a pitch.
CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW
LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Baseball Championship is set to begin this Sunday, May 8, in Butler, Pa. at Kelly Automotive Park. Four teams from the eastern division and four teams from the western division will square off in a double elimination tournament over the course of four days.
The tournament will start at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday and will see No. 2 Seton Hill face No. 3 East Stroudsburg. Entering the game, the Griffins and the Warriors are both ranked in the top six of the NCAA Atlantic Regional Rankings. This is the only first round matchup with both teams ranked that high in the regional poll. ESU has the best offense in the league this year, averaging nearly nine runs per game. The Warriors boast seven First Team All-PSAC selections as well as the PSAC East Athlete of the Year, Robert Bennie, and the PSAC East Co-Pitcher of the Year, Matt Festa. The Griffins are also well represented on the all-conference team, as SHU had a total of six honorees. Zac Heide leads the league in slugging percentage (.827) and is tied for the league lead in RBIs (58) with teammate Matt Malacane. On the mound, Perry DellaValle’s 1.44 ERA is the lowest in the PSAC.
In the second game of the day, the top-seeded Marauders from Millersville will represent the PSAC East against No. 4 California. Millersville has been a PSAC power as of late, winning four straight PSAC East Championships, and are looking to defend the conference tournament crown. This matchup will pit the PSAC East Co-Pitcher of the Year, Brandon Miller, against the PSAC West Athlete of the Year, Mick Fennell. Miller walked just seven batters this season and allowed just seven runs. Fennell led the Vulcans in batting average, runs, hits, doubles, triples, home runs, slugging percentage, walks, on-base percentage, and stolen bases this year. His six triples are tied for the top spot in the league.
The third game of the day will feature Gannon, who is the only team in this year’s tournament that did not qualify last year, as the third seed out of the west. The Golden Knights will square off with West Chester. The Golden Rams are the 2012 PSAC Champions and took three of four from East Stroudsburg on the final weekend of the season to earn the number two seed. WCU had four all-conference honorees. GU catcher Nate Cardy was named the PSAC West Freshman of the Year, in addition to earning a spot on the second team. His teammate Jared Wiesen led the league in batting average this year, hitting .454. In his first year as head coach at Gannon, Greg Coleman was named the PSAC West Coach of the Year, taking a team that went 17-27 and going 30-15.
The final game of the night pits No. 4 Shippensburg against the PSAC West Champions: Mercyhurst. Mercyhurst’s Colin McKee was named the PSAC West Pitcher of the Year this season after earning first team all-conference laurels in 2015. McKee had an ERA of 1.52 this season and pitched a league-high 77 innings. Batters only hit .153 off of McKee this season, lowest in the PSAC. The Lakers placed seven players on the All-PSAC West First Team. Shippensburg is looking for its first conference championship since 2007. The last conference tournament victory for the Raiders came in 2012 over Mercyhurst. With 38 double plays turned this season, SU leads the PSAC in that category.
In the event of inclement weather, please check out the PSAC on Twitter (@PSACsports) for the the latest updates. Media members looking for a pass to the tournament should contact Nick Moeller, the PSAC Director of Strategic Communications and New Media, at nmoeller@psacsports.org.