Box Score WATERBURY, Conn. – For the second straight time in the CACC Tournament, Post University Baseball fell behind early in the game, this time against North Division's two seed Felician University. But for the second straight day, it was the North Division's top-seeded Eagles coming back to get a 10-5 win and seal their spot in championship Saturday for the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference title.
 
At a perfect 2-0 in the tournament, this is the first time in program history that the Eagles enter the championship in the winner's bracket. The previous three appearances they entered in the loser's bracket and needed to win two games in order to win the CACC title and in all three cases won the first game before dropping the second.
 
Post will take on either Jefferson University or the Golden Falcons again on Saturday pending the outcome of their matchup this afternoon.

THE BASICS

N#1 Post University 10, N#2 Felician University 5 

N#1 Post University (27-19)

N#2 Felician University (29-22)

HOW IT HAPPENED
After two shutout innings from graduate right-hander Joe Christiana and junior right-hander Logan Waltz, the Golden Falcons would draw first blood in the affair with two runs in the third. An infield single and sacrifice play put sophomore catcher Jose David Medrano on second with one out and a wild pitch from Christiana that deflected off the umpire's helmet got him to third. On a squeeze play, graduate infielder Alex Torres would reach first safely as Christiana came home with the throw and Medrano was safe.
 
With the bases loaded, senior infielder Dauri Genao would get across the second run for Felician with his fielder's choice back to Christiana who optioned to second for the out before escaping the inning with no further harm. Leading off the bottom of the frame, junior infielder Hunter Keller's double set up the Eagles to score their first run as a sacrifice fly by senior shortstop Evan Cornwell scored Keller from third after a walk and sacrifice bunt put runners in scoring position for Post.
 
Two errors in the fourth would help the Eagles take the lead as junior catcher Jimmy Brennan reached on an error by Genao to start the inning and after a walk to senior outfielder Jaylen Kelley, junior third baseman Justin Rivera also reached on an error by the shortstop to tie the game at two. Recording his second hit of the game, Keller's RBI single and an error by junior outfielder Chris Biolsi made it a 4-2 ballgame with five innings to play.
 
Four runs came across the plate for Post in the sixth, strengthening their lead as back-to-back singles to lead off the inning and an eventual fifth error for Felician led to the first run of the frame. Moving himself within five of tying the hit record, senior outfielder Michael Pavelchak's double plated another followed by Cornwell's single and an RBI ground out for junior first baseman Chris Corchado rounded out the scoring with the Eagles ahead by six, 8-2.
 
But the Golden Falcons responded in kind with a big inning of their own in the seventh as a leadoff single from sophomore utilityman Thomas Kendrick and a throwing error on a fielder's choice by Cornwell put two on and nobody out. Making up for his errors earlier, Genao launched a three-run home run to left, cutting the deficit in half, 8-5, before Christiana settled down to retire the next three hitters.
 
Two more runs would come across over the next two innings for Post on the third hit of the game for Keller in the seventh and a sacrifice fly by graduate outfielder DJ Caron in the eighth, pushing the Eagle edge back up to five runs. Closing out the final two innings was senior right-hander Erik Gutowski who allowed no runs on one hit with a strikeout to secure Post's spot in the winner's bracket side of the Championship Game which will take place tomorrow at 11:00 AM.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Michael Pavelchak has reached base safely in 27 straight games after going 1-for-2 with a double, two walks, an RBI, and a run scored
• With 188 career hits after today, Michael Pavelchak is five hits away from tying Dan Luisi for the most hits in Post University Baseball program history
• Post University remains 19-7 on the season when they score the game's first run while moving to 8-12 when allowing the first run of the game
• This will be the third straight season in which Post University has reached the CACC Championship Game and the fourth time in program history – The Eagles will be seeking their first conference title in program history, entering 0-3 in their last three years making it that far

WHO'S NEXT
Post University will await the winner of the 3:00 PM elimination game between South Division top seed Jefferson University and North Division second seed. That winner will have to beat the Eagles twice tomorrow at Municipal Stadium with game one starting at 11:00 AM, should that team beat Post there will be an "if necessary" game played 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first game.
This season, the Eagles are now 3-1 this season after a win today against the Golden Falcons while having gone 1-1 against the Rams earlier in the year with a 13-8 loss in eight innings and then a 5-3 win following that game at Municipal Stadium in April.