WATERBURY, Conn. – Every conference game is crucial for Post University Baseball in a tight CACC North Division race between them and Felician University. After Jefferson University came back in game one for a 13-8 win in eight innings against the Eagles, a come-from-behind win of their own for Post, 5-3, in game two proved key to improving their chances at the top spot in the North.
While the Eagles have just two conference games remaining, the Golden Falcons have five left on their schedule. As it stands, Post has a three-game lead in the win column with Felician still to play Bridgeport three times and Chestnut Hill twice, two teams in which the Eagles swept. With both teams having six conference losses, it could mean the final two games of Post's season against Holy Family are the difference between the second seed and the first seed which also changes playing the first weekend of May or getting a bye to the CACC Tournament's final weekend at Municipal Stadium.
Post does hold the tiebreaker over Felician given that they won the season series, 2-1, earlier this year with a road win and a split at home.
THE BASICS
Post University 8, Jefferson University 13 (8 Innings)
Post University 5, Jefferson University 3 (7 Innings)
Post University (22-19, 14-6 CACC)
Jefferson University (25-13, 13-6 CACC)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1: Post University 8, Jefferson University 13 (8 Innings)
A strong start for Post in the first inning saw them jump out to a 3-0 lead as graduate outfielder DJ Caron doubled home senior outfielder Michael Pavelchak, who led off the game with a walk, and then junior third baseman Justin Rivera's scored two more with his single off of sophomore right-hander Tyler Behm. But over the next three innings, Jefferson would chip away at their deficit against senior right-hander Matt Semon, taking their first lead of the game, 4-3.
Junior infielder Justin Espinal and freshman outfielder Jordan Tiburcio each singled home a run in the second and a bases-loaded walk by Semon scored another in the third to tie the game at three all. The go-ahead run for the Rams came off the bat of senior infielder Chris McLean with his sacrifice fly to Pavelchak, but it would not take long for the Eagles to tie the game back up in the bottom of the fourth with senior outfielder Jaylen Kelley's RBI infield single.
Both Semon and Behm would settle in after that with neither allowing a run which forced the seven-inning game into extra innings after graduate right-hander Nathaniel Byrd polished off that seventh inning of work. But the floodgates opened in the eighth for Jefferson who scored nine runs on eight hits and two errors all started with a throwing error by Byrd to score the go-ahead run. From there, senior catcher Josh Lopez would loft a three-run home run to left off of junior left-hander Alexander Galvan, his 17th of the season which put him second in all of Division II, to extend the Rams' lead to five runs, 9-4.
Two more singles, a double, and a steal of home would cap off the nine-run frame against three different Post pitchers, but the Eagles would not go down quietly. Three straight hits to start the bottom of the eighth led to the next four batters scoring runs via a fielder's choice, a double, and two singles that suddenly made it a 13-8 game with still only one out. Sophomore right-hander Joey Azzara, who came into the eighth inning, would retire the next two hitters to secure the win for Jefferson.
Game 2: Post University 5, Jefferson University 3 (7 Innings)
Continuing their momentum from the victory in game one, Jefferson struck first with a two-run double by Josh Lopez off of junior right-hander Brennan Holligan, but the response would be immediate for Post in the first inning. Junior catcher Jimmy Brennan scored one with his sacrifice fly to left and then Rivera tied the game up with his RBI single, sending the game to the second with a 2-2 tie.
Answering right back was Tiburico with an RBI single of his own in the second before Holligan and junior left-hander Sean Morgan dueled for the next several innings. In all, Holligan would end up with a complete game victory after lasting all seven innings allowing three runs on six hits with eight strikeouts, two walks, and a hit batter. While Morgan also had a stellar outing in 5 2/3 innings, the wheels fell off on his performance in the sixth inning which was the difference maker in the game.
A throwing error to start off the inning followed by two wild pitches from Morgan scored the tying run in Caron, making it three all. With two outs and two on, Morgan would be lifted for graduate right-hander Anthony Pillari who allowed a two-run single to Cornwell that ultimately won the game for Post. Navigating around two runners on base with two outs in the seventh, Holligan came back to strike out senior utility man Marquise Wood to secure the split, 5-3.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Michael Pavelchak has reached base safely in 22 straight games after walking in game one and leading off game two with a single
- With 182 career hits after today, Michael Pavelchak is 11 hits away from surpassing Dan Luisi from the most hits in Post University Baseball program history
- The 13 runs allowed in game one was the most allowed by Post University against Jefferson since 2021 when they lost 17-4 in the second game of a doubleheader – That year was also the last time the Rams swept the Eagles, something they have not done since the 2013 season in Waterbury, Connecticut
- Post University is now 16-7 on the season when they score the game's first run after scoring first in game one and 6-12 when allowing the first run of the game
WHO'S NEXT
Post University will play an added game against Pace University on the road this Thursday at 2:30 PM. This will be the first time since the 2020 season that they will face each other with that last time coming down at Myrtle Beach and ending in an 11-6 victory for the Eagles. In the all-time series, Post is 3-2 against the Setters with at least three of the games coming in Pleasantville, New York where they are 1-2.
