Championship Bracket (PDF)
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MASON, Ohio – Four teams were left standing after six more games were wrapped up deep into the night at PRASCO Park at the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Baseball Championship on a beautiful Thursday.
At the end of the day, four teams were eliminated as they were handed their second loss of the postseason.
But as the first day of the conference tournament proved, the margin of victory even for the advancing teams, was razor thin and close finishes were once against theme for Thursday as Hillsdale, Malone, Kentucky Wesleyan and Walsh, all stayed alive.
The only unbeatens are Malone (No. 2 North) and Hillsdale (No. 3 North) as the Pioneers and Chargers passed their second-round tests with flying colors in one-run finishes.
In a rematch of last year’s championship series, Malone was able to get a little bit of playoff redemption by handing South Division and defending conference tournament champ Kentucky Wesleyan an 8-7 setback.
Malone had two-time Great Midwest Pitcher of the Year Roscoe Blackburn on the bump in a matchup of all-conference pitchers (Sammy Holder – KWC), but a shootout ensued as each starter was tagged for seven runs.
After Kentucky Wesleyan manufactured a three-run home half of the seventh, the Pioneers answered with a four-run eighth inning that featured an RBI double from Wednesday’s walk-off hero Todd Ropp and a two-run single by Zach Mottice.
Dominant starter Eric Mullet then retired six straight to keep the Panthers at bay as he tossed two perfect innings to end it.
The Panthers ultimately staved off elimination on Legacy Field in the evening, going down to the wire with Trevecca in a climactic 5-4 finish that once again went down to the final out.
Meanwhile, as Hillsdale’s softball program rocked the NCAA Championship Midwest Region bracket with an upset over the top seed, the Chargers baseball program emerged in a pitcher’s duel as Will Kruse went pitch-for-pitch with the Cavaliers’ Nick Bebout.
The lone run of support was provided from a pair of extra-base hits in the first inning as first-team all-conference shortstop Jake Hoover legged out a triple and was plated on another extra-base hit from David Lottinville.
Kruse and Kolton Rominski combined for a five-hit shutout against Walsh, which handed North Division champ Ohio Dominican the early blow with a loss on Wednesday. ODU was knocked out of the bracket by Trevecca in extras as Sam Mang and Ethan Hurt went an unconventional back-to-back with home runs in the 10th inning.
Mang ripped a two-run blast into the power alley out in left center before Hurt motored around the bases for an inside-the-park home run after the Trojans and Panthers were tied 4-4 at the end of regulation.
Strong relief pitching was the highlight of the early game as Findlay sent Ohio Valley home in the noon game. Senior closer Josh Robinson delivered with 1.1 scoreless innings and had three strikeouts for the Oilers while Tyler Burley was a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate.
Findlay and Walsh combined for 22 runs and 31 hits in the nightcap (that went past midnight) as the Cavaliers led 12-6 in the middle innings. Walsh had to withstand a four-run seventh by the Oilers in a win-or-go home matchup, but the hot hitting of second-team all-conference infielder Marcus Bobb gave Walsh new life.
Bobb was 3-for-6 with a double, three RBI, two run scored and a stolen base while setting the table at the top of the order.