2014 PSAC Baseball Championship: Kutztown Shuts Out Millersville to Win Title
April 30 - May 3, 2013 • Butler, Pa • Kelly Automotive Park
Butler, Pa. –
Brandon Shimo pitched a complete game shutout to lift the Kutztown baseball team to a 1-0 win over Millersville and the 2014 PSAC Baseball Championship title. Shimo was named the Championships’ MVP.
This is Kutztown's seventh PSAC Championship in program history and first since 2008. It also won in 2008, 2006, 2005, 2002, 1999 and 1966. The Golden Bears won three of those under head coach Chris Blum.
Shimo put together a masterpiece on the mound, earning him the MVP honor. In his nine-inning effort on Saturday, the senior allowed seven hits while striking out seven batters and walking one. Including his two scoreless innings against Seton Hill in the opening round of the tournament, Shimo threw 11 scoreless innings and picked up two wins to move to 7-1 on the year.
Kutztown's first hit of the game led to its first run of the game. In the bottom of the fourth inning
, Ricky Gorrell led off with a double in the left-center gap. He moved to third on a wild pitch, and scored on the following at-bat on a sacrifice fly by
Brandon Martinez to left field.
Kutztown has been playing with its back against the wall for nearly three weeks now. It won seven of its final eight PSAC games to qualify for the PSAC Tournament, and currently rides a six-game winning streak into the NCAA Tournament.
With the championship, Kutztown earns an automatic bid into the NCAA Atlantic Regional Tournament. KU will find out where it play during the Selection Show on Sunday, May 11 live on NCAA.com. Click
here to watch show.
Millersville stranded runners in eight of the nine innings in the setback. Pitcher
Tad Barton was tabbed with the loss with eight innings of three-hit ball.
Kutztown scored just one run in its final 17 innings of the tournament after it totaled six in the first inning against Pitt-Johnstown in the semifinals.
DAY TWO RECAPS - SEMIFINALS
MILLERSVILLE WALKS-OFF MERCYHURST
Butler, Pa. – Millersville defeated Mercyhurst 7-6 in the 2014 PSAC Baseball Championship Semifinals on Friday afternoon at Kelly Automotive Park in Butler, Pa.
Dan Johnson singled to left center to score
Chas McCormick to win the game in the bottom of the ninth. In the seventh the Marauders trailed by two, 6-4, before
Zach Stone singled to the short stop and scored
Dan Neff to narrow the Lakers’ lead to one. Johnson was clutch again with a double to left center that scored Stone to tie the game at six-all.
Stone and
Tyler Orris both finished the day with three hits, while McCormick and Johnson registered two. The Marauders finished with 12 hits compared to Mercyhurst’s eight.
It was a team effort on the mound for Millersville, as the bullpen threw five pitchers.
Jim McDade got the start and went five innings and allowed four runs on five hits.
Brandon Miller threw 0.2 innings, and
Chase Mown threw 0.1.
Matt Binder recorded an inning and didn’t allow a hit.
Adam Zipko earned the win with two innings of work. Zipko didn’t surrender a hit and struck out two batters.
Millersville advances to face Kutztown in the Championship game on Saturday, May 3 at 12:00 p.m. The Marauders are making their first appearance in the PSAC title game since winning the crown in 1998.
Box Score
Millersville Story
Mercyhurst Story
KUTZTOWN HANDLES PITT-JOHNSTOWN
Butler, Pa. – Kutztown delivered a 6-2 win over Pitt-Johnstown in the 2014 PSAC Baseball Championship Semifinals on Friday afternoon at Kelly Automotive Park in Butler, Pa.
The Golden Bears rattled-off all six runs in the first inning that were kick-started by a
Kyle Stoudt single to right field that plated
John Dockins. Kutztown finished with 12 hits with
Thomas Romano going 3-for-4. Dockins and
Brandon Martinez each registered two hits, while
Brandon Cholish drove in a pair of runs.
Pat Flynn is credited with the win after eight innings on the mound for Kutztown. Flynn allowed both of UPJ’s two runs on eight hits while striking out five.
Matt Swarmer closed the game and gave up one hit with one strikeout.
Kutztown advances to face Millersville in the Championship game on Saturday, May 3 at 12:00 p.m. The Golden Bears have played in two of the last three PSAC Championship games and have won six conference titles and most recently in 2008.
Box Score
Kutztown Story
Pitt-Johnstown Story
DAY ONE RECAPS
MERCYHURST DOWNS WEST CHESTER IN TOURNEY OPENER
Butler, Pa. – Mercyhurst’s
Dan Altavilla led the Lakers to a 6-0 shutout of West Chester in the 2014 PSAC Baseball Championship opening round on Thursday afternoon at Kelly Automotive Park in Butler, Pa.
Altavilla racked-up 19 strikeouts in 7.2 innings of work to set a new PSAC single game strikeout record. He one-upped Shippensburg’s Clyde Mellinger who tossed 18 against Kutztown in 1915. His 19 strikeouts were two shy of tying the NCAA Division II record of 21, which has been reached five times. Altavilla surrendered just two hits and two walks in 26 batters faced.
The Lakers got multi-hit performances from
Anthony Tomasone at leadoff,
Dan Popio and
Stephen Scaccia. Popio and Scaccia each drove-in two Mercyhurst runs.
Mercyhurst advances to face Millersville in the PSAC Semifinals on Friday, May 2 at noon.
Mercyhurst Story
West Chester Story
Box Score
MILLERSVILLE OUTLASTS SLIPPERY ROCK
Butler, Pa. – Millersville took down Slippery Rock 3-2 in 11 innings in the 2014 PSAC Baseball Championship opening round on Thursday afternoon at Kelly Automotive Park in Butler, Pa.
Millersville ended the game with a
Zach Stone sacrifice fly into centerfield that scored
David Summerfield in the bottom of the 11
th inning. Stone finished the games with two hits and as many RBI. Summerfield also turned-in a two-hit performance, as did
Dan Stoltzfus and
Kurt Seiders, while
Tyler Orris finished the day 3-for-5.
Adam Zipko picked-up the win for the Marauders with three innings of work. He struck out two batters and allowed just one hit.
Chris Murphy went seven innings with the start and allowed six hits and both of Slippery Rock’s runs.
Millersville advances to face Mercyhurst in the PSAC Semifinals on Friday, May 2 at noon.
Millersville Story
Slippery Rock Story
Box Score
PITT-JOHNSTOWN HOLDS ONTO 2-1 WIN OVER BLOOMSBURG
Butler, Pa. – Pitt-Johnstown defeated Bloomsburg 2-1 in the 2014 PSAC Baseball Championship opening round on Thursday evening at Kelly Automotive Park in Butler, Pa.
Jake Warner was clutch for the Mountain Cats going 3-for-4 and scoring the game’s first run off a
Matt McGhee double.
Ernesto Rizzitano plated McGhee with a single to center field in the seventh inning for the eventual winning run.
Derek Younker earned the complete game victory for Pitt-Johnstown going all nine innings and allowing eight hits and striking out five. Younker thwarted a Bloomsburg ninth inning rally with a strike out to close the game following the Huskies’ lone run of the game.
Pitt-Johnstown advances to face Kutztown in the PSAC Semifinals on Friday, May 2 at 3:00 p.m.
Pitt-Johnstown Story
Bloomsburg Story
Box Score
KUTZTOWN TAKES DOWN SETON HILL IN EXTRA INNINGS
Butler, Pa. – Kutztown outlasted Seton Hill 2-1 in 12 innings in the 2014 PSAC Baseball Championship opening round on Thursday night at Kelly Automotive Park in Butler, Pa.
The Golden Bears finished the extra-inning affair with 12 hits, while Seton Hill managed six. Kutztown plated the winning run off a
John Dockins single up the middle that scored
Thomas Romano.
Collin Holmes went 10 innings on the mound for Kutztown and allowed just five hits and Seton Hill’s lone run.
Brandon Shimo entered the game for the final two innings and earned the win.
Kutztown advances to face Pitt-Johnstown in the PSAC Semifinals on Friday, May 2 at 3:00 p.m.
Kutztown Story
Seton Hill Story
Box Score
CHAMPIONSHIP MOVED TO SINGLE ELIMINATION
Due to inclement weather on Wednesday, the PSAC Baseball Championship will now be contested as a single elmination tournament. All play is cancelled for Wednesday and play will begin on Thursday, May 1 at 9:30 a.m. The four orginially scheduled opening round games will be contested on Thursday, with two semifinal games following on Friday. The Championship game will be played at noon on Saturday, May 3.