WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – It was a much-needed win for Post University Baseball to close out their final Florida trip on a high note as the Eagle bats came to life, striking for eight runs against Palm Beach Atlantic University on Wednesday and holding off a late Sailfish rally for the 8-6 win.
 
It was the first time in the last seven games in which Post scored more than three runs and they came in bunches during the first and sixth innings to help propel the Eagles to the win.

THE BASICS

Post University 8, Palm Beach Atlantic University 6  
 
Post University (7-11)

Palm Beach Atlantic University (5-13)

HOW IT HAPPENED
An error by senior right-hander David Chenoweth to start the game against senior outfielder Michael Pavelchak, would help aid in Post scoring the first two runs of the ballgame. Junior catcher Jimmy Brennan's sacrifice fly and junior third baseman Justin Rivera's RBI single helped Post take a 2-0 lead before a leadoff home run in the second by graduate outfielder Nate Housen off of junior left-hander Alexander Galvan cut the lead in half, 2-1.
 
A leadoff double from Rivera to begin the fourth and the first collegiate hit of senior outfielder Jaylen Kelley's career helped give Post a chance at more runs when the next batter in senior outfielder Danny Gill drove home Gill to extend Post's lead. Following a wild pitch to move Gill to second, freshman infielder John Onofrio looked to sacrifice Kelley home on his fly out to right, but the senior would be hosed at home to keep the Sailfish deficit at two runs.
 
Junior outfielder Matthew Faranda led off the bottom of that frame with a single and for the second time today, Housen took Galvan deep to tie the game at three all. Eventually, Palm Beach would take their first lead against Post in the next inning when a leadoff walk issued by Galvan to graduate outfielder Matty Warren led to a stolen base before an RBI single from Faranda with one out gave the Sailfish a slight 4-3 edge.
 
But with sophomore right-hander Jimmie Buhl relieving Chenoweth the Eagles put up a four-spot in the sixth to reclaim the lead, 7-4. After giving up a leadoff double to Brennan and retiring the next two hitters, Chenoweth was lifted for Buhl who immediately threw two wild pitches which scored Brennan to tie the game. Issuing back-to-back walks to the bottom of the Post lineup, Pavelchak's singled one runner home with his single up the middle and junior infielder Chris Corchado plated two more before all was set and done with the bases loaded following another wild pitch and walk by Buhl.
 
Rivera would add on to the Post lead in the ninth with an RBI single to left before the Sailfish threatened during their last at-bats. Junior right-hander Brennan Holligan allowed the first two Palm Beach batters to reach base and they would advance to second and third with the first out of the inning to Faranda. Housen's RBI groundout made it a three-run game, 8-5, and following a single by senior infielder Stanton Leuthner, the tying run would come to the dish.
 
Holligan would force senior catcher Sean Williams to ground into a fielder's choice as Leuthner was retired at second to clinch the trip-ending victory for the Eagles, 8-6.
 
BY THE NUMBERS

• Michael Pavelchak has now gotten on base in 27 straight games -- Pavelchak was 2-for-4 with an RBI, walk, and two runs scored
• Jake Baumann earned his first win on the mound after going 2 2/3 innings while allowing no runs on one hit with two walks and a strikeout
• Post University is 5-3 this season when scoring the game's first run while holding a 2-8 mark when allowing the opponent to score first
• Scoring eight runs today, Post University snapped a six-game streak in which they had scored three runs or fewer which dated back to February 25^th against the University of New Haven in a 9-4 victory

WHO'S NEXT
Post University heads back to Connecticut for its 2024 home opener scheduled for Saturday afternoon at 1:00 PM against Southern New Hampshire University which is regionally ranked fourth in the latest National Collegiate Baseball Writers of America Poll (NCBWA). It will be a doubleheader of games to kick off the three-game weekend series with the first being nine innings and the second game being just seven innings. The Eagles are 0-10 all-time against the Penmen, getting swept last season in their three-game set and have been shutout four times in those 10 games.