Baseball
Game Recap

May 2, 2008

KU sweeps West Chester to win PSAC Championships

KU celebrates winning the PSAC title. (photo by Daniel Putz, Shippensburg Sports Information)

LANCASTER, Pa.  - Kutztown swept a pair of games from West Chester on Saturday to win the 2008 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) baseball championship at Clipper Magazine Stadium.

Chad Lightcap, who was named tournament MVP, scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth inning to give KU an 8-7 victory.  Lightcap doubled and advanced to third on an error by the left fielder.  With two out, Lightcap scored on an error when WCU's second baseman couldn't field Mike Kacelowicz's grounder.

Kutztown won game one 6-2 to force the decisive 11th game of the tournament. 

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.

Complete recaps of both games below.

Game 10: Kutztown 6, West Chester 2
BOXSCORE | Back to PSAC Championship Homepage

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.

Game 11: Kutztown 8, West Chester 7
BOXSCORE | Back to PSAC Championship Homepage

KU's seniors (left to right: Derick Reis, Justin Jachowicz, Bryan Riggins, Garrison Rausch, Philip Rummel) accept the PSAC Championship trophy. (photo by Daniel Putz, Shippensburg Sports Information)

LANCASTER, Pa. - Chad Lightcap doubled and scored on an error to break a 7-7 tie and give KU the lead in the PSAC Championship game.

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.

"He was going fastball, fastball, so I figured he'd try an off speed pitch," Lightcap said.  "I stayed back on the changeup and got ahold of it."

Lightcap ripped a double down the left field line.  After the ball skipped away from the left fielder, Lightcap advanced to third. 

"As I rounded second, I saw it take a big hop in the corner, and he stumbled, so I went for 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 wiht the winning run.

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.

"It really means a lot.  After the season we had, to come here and do what we did is just unbelievable.  Winning the MVP is really special," Lightcap said.

KU head coach Chris Blum, who wins his third PSAC crown, echoed the sentiment.

"Chad is everything he's worked so hard to be.  This is just a great feeling.  These guys never gave up, at any time this season, and that persistence showed here today."