Kutztown Wins League Baseball Title
(From Kutztown Sports Information)
GAME 11
LANCASTER, Pa. - Chad Lightcap doubled and scored on an error in the bottom of the eighth inning to propel Kutztown to an 8-7 win over West Chester in the final contest of the 2008 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championship.
Lightcap, named the tournament MVP, was 3-for-3 with three runs scored and two RBI in the decisive game.
After West Chester tied the score at 7 with four runs in the top of the eighth, Lightcap stepped to the plate with two out in the bottom of the eighth against hard-throwing Eric Carmichael.
Lightcap ripped a double down the left field line. After the ball skipped away from the left fielder, Lightcap advanced to third.
Mike Kacelowicz hit a grounder to second base, the fielder made a diving grab, came up to his knees and lost the ball, allowing Kacelowicz to reach safely and Lightcap to trot home with the winning run.
West Chester's Frank Nunan doubled to lead off the ninth vs. Philip Rummel, but he was stranded there as Rummel got a ground out and fly out before striking out Kyle Bechter looking.
KU jumped out to a 4-0 lead after two innings, James Quigley singled in a run and Corey Buletza hit a sacrifice fly in the first, and Lightcap and Kacelowicz drove in runs in the second.
It was a 5-0 lead after Lightcap's RBI single in the fourth.
West Chester rallied in the fifth, scoring twice on RBI's by McGrath and Nick Spisak, then made it 5-3 with an RBI by Bechter in the sixth.
KU extended its lead to 7-3 in the seventh on a two-run single by Garrison Rausch.
Rummel entered in the eighth. He allowed a run on a single by Blair Dameron before Connor Thorp belted a three-run homer to tie the score.
But, Lightcap came through with the big hit in the eighth, solidifying his MVP award, finishing 9-for-20 with eight runs and six RBI in KU's six games.
KU (30-24) wins its sixth PSAC title, the fifth since 1999. The win also secures KU's eighth consecutive NCAA tournament berth via the PSAC's automatic berth in the field.
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GAME 10
LANCASTER, Pa. — Kutztown defeated West Chester 6-2, to force a decisive game 11 at the PSAC Championships Saturday afternoon.
Mike Kacelowicz was 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBI, while Chad Lightcap was 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Jared Frey drove in two runs.
Justin Jachowicz (1-3) was the winner, throwing three innings of scoreless relief. Garrison Rausch started, allowing one run on seven hits in four innings. Ryan Cassidy tossed the final two innings.
KU took an early lead with three runs in the first, on RBIs by Kacelowicz, Matt Kulbacki and Corey Buletza.
The Rams pulled to 3-1 in the fourth, but KU scored twice in the fifth on a two-run double by Frey.
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PSAC Championship Game Scores
May 3
Game 11
Kutztown 8, West Chester 7
Game 10
Kutztown 6, West Chester 2
May 2
Game 9
Kutztown 8, Millersville 7
Game 8
Millersville 13, Shippensburg 8 (10 inn)
Game 7
West Chester 1, Kutztown 0
May 1
Game 6
Kutztown 9, Millersville 2
Game 5
Shippensburg 8, IUP 3
Game 4
West Chester 5, Slippery Rock 2
Game 3
Kutztown 4, IUP 3
April 30
Game 2
West Chester 7, Shippensburg 0
Game 1
Millersville 5, Slippery Rock 3