Championship Bracket (PDF)
Official Championship Page
MASON, Ohio - The road traveled may be a little different, but Hillsdale and Kentucky Wesleyan both navigated their way into the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Baseball Championship series following more tournament play on Friday at PRASCO Park.
The championship bracket started with eight teams and only two are left standing in the double-elimination format as two more teams saw their seasons come to a close.
For coaches, pitching becomes more strategic as teams continue to get deeper into their rotation and stash of arms in the bullpen.
No. 4 South seed Walsh and No. 2 North seed Malone were both eliminated.
The weather continues to be warm and maybe coincidentally, the bats are just heating up for the Chargers and Panthers.
After observers witnessed a handful of one-run games and close finishes, Hillsdale generated 11 runs on the scoreboard against Malone while Kentucky Wesleyan put up double-digit run production over Walsh and Malone.
The offensive explosions make Saturday’s championship series that much more intriguing and suddenly, May baseball feels like postseason in October.
Hillsdale is just one win away from celebrating on the field while Kentucky Wesleyan, the defending conference champs, need to win twice in order to repeat their playoff glory. The winner is ticketed into the NCAA Championship Midwest Regional with an automatic qualifier selection.
The Chargers pounded out 14 hits to win their third consecutive game of the tournament. Following stellar starts from right-handed starters Andrew Verbrugge and Will Kruse in one-run games, the run support was more than ample to aid Chris Dunn and Kolton Rominski.
Rominski tossed five innings in relief for the win, one day removed after closing the door on Walsh’s in the winner’s bracket for a save.
Dylan Lottinville was 4-for-5 with a pair of RBI and two runs scored, Colin Hites set the tone at the top of the order with a double as part of his two hits, Colin Boerst doubled and drove in three, third baseman Alex Walts was 3-for-5 with two runs and an RBI and Steven Ring delivered the power with a two-run shot.
Hillsdale scored at least one run in five of the first six innings.
The Panthers keep responding in elimination games and had to do so against Walsh and Malone, their fourth and fifth games of the tournament. Cam Curry stepped in for a complete-game win on the mound after providing a walk-off home run earlier in the bracket against Findlay.
KWC and Walsh each had 13 hits, but the Panthers showed how dangerous the lineup can be and put runs on the board in a hurry.
Cody Bridges, his average now at .436, tops in the league, was 3-for-6 with a triple as he continues to build on his first team all-conference campaign. Lane Kennemore had three hits while Cody Jackson had two RBI and Joseph Burke plated three.
Burke was part of an extra-hit barrage in a rematch of the rematch from last year’s championship game. Malone had initially put KWC in the loser’s bracket with an 8-7 win and turned righty Joshua Hurford on the mound.
The Panthers were patient at the plate and blew it open with a seven-run seventh inning. KWC had four consecutive extra-base hits in the third inning, including back-to-back jacks from Burke, his 21st of the spring, and Andrew Kirkland. Ostin Clark and Jackson ripped back-to-back doubles in the next plate appearances.
Right-handed reliever Nate Verst tossed six innings in relief for the winning decision to back up three solid innings from southpaw starter Taylor Soper.