Waterbury, CT. – In a rematch of the 2022 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Championship and the top teams in their respective divisions, the Post University baseball team won two pitchers' duels on walkoffs, both of them by a score of 2-1 in a doubleheader against South Division leading Wilmington.
The Eagles, who lead the North Division, are now 24-13 overall and 14-2 in the CACC and have won 17 of their last 19 games. Wilmington is now 20-15 overall and 12-4 in the CACC.
In game one,
Matt Goehrig pitched a complete game seven inning gem, striking out seven and allowing just one earned run on five hits and a walk for his second win of the season. He struck out at least one batter in six of his seven innings.
Offensively, runs were hard to come by, but the Eagles were able to get on the board in the bottom of the third on an RBI single from
Robert Olah that scored
DJ Caron, who doubled with one out in the inning. Wilmington got one back in the top of the fourth on an RBI fielder's choice by J.J. Killen.
The teams went scoreless in the next two innings, one of the reasons being a heads up defensive play by
Michael Pavelchak in the top of the seventh. Adrian Jimenez ripped a ball to right field for a single, but while rounding the base, Pavelchak threw the ball to Olah at first base and placed the tag on Jimenez who tried to dive back for the second out of the inning.
The dramatics came in the bottom of the seventh for the Eagles as
Hunter Keller led off with a single, followed by a sacrifice bunt from
Matthew Soloman that moved Keller to second.
Chris Corchado came up as a pinch hitter, and after a wild pitch moved Keller to third, Corchado hit a deep fly ball to left that scored Keller to give the Eagles the win.
The Eagles had six hits in game one, three of them from Caron, who was 3-for-3. Keller was 2-for-3.
For Wilmington, Rich Albrecht pitched 6.1 innings, striking out four and giving up just one earned run. Dom Grady got the loss in relief for the Wildcats.
In game one, the Wildcats struck first on a solo homer from Nick Nocella, but the Eagles pitching staff of starter
Derek Duval and
Brennan Holligan shut the Wildcats down the rest of the way, allowing just three base runners the rest of the way.
The Eagles were able to tie the game in the fourth on a sacrifice fly from
Jimmy Brennan that scored Pavelchak in a close play at home plate.
Post had a chance to end it in the bottom of the seventh with runners on first and second, but a ball hit up the middle by
Danny Gill, that looked destined for the outfield was stopped by Wilmington second baseman Zach Czarnecki who got the out at second base to end the inning.
However, the bottom of the tenth, Gill led off the inning with a walk. After two outs, Gill stole second while
Shane Lindemuth was batting. Lindemuth battled through a nine-pitch at bat, drawing a walk to put runners on first and second. Pavelchak came to the and ripped a ball to third that Tyler Pirrung dove to try and stop. The ball bounced off his glove and into the outfield, allowing Gill to score the winning run and give the Eagles the win.
Duval finished the game pitching six innings, allowing just one earned run on four hits while striking out two. Holligan won the game in relief, pitching four innings, allowing just one hit and striking out five.
Up next, the Eagles head to Bridgeport on Wednesday, April 19 for a single game starting at 3 p.m.
