May 16, 2009

Golden Bears' season closes with 6-1 loss to West Virginia State

WEST LAWN, Pa. — Eric Workman did it all in Game 8, leading West Virginia State University to a 6-1 win that eliminated the Kutztown University baseball team from the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regionals Saturday at Owls Field.

Workman was 3-for-4 with two RBIs and one run scored as No. 5-seeded West Virginia State (33-14) put together back-to-back three-run innings in the fifth and sixth inning to knock off No. 2-seeded KU (34-17).

He also pitched a complete game, holding KU to one run on six hits and three walks. He struck out six in the game. Outside of the first and ninth innings, KU had just two hits.

The Golden Bears scored its lone run in the first inning when Shayne Houck, who led off with a double, scored on a wild pitch.

KU loaded the bases after Houck scored, but Workman got himself out of the jam with a groundout and retired the next nine batters before Dom Fantanarosa led off with a single in the fifth. He along with nine other KU baserunners were stranded.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Workman hit a two-RBI single and scored on Bo Darby’s RBI single to make it 3-1.

Chad Chambers provided the knockout punch in the game with a three-run home run off of KU reliever Jason Herr.

Ryan Cassidy pitched five innings for the Golden Bears, allowing three runs on six hits and a walk.

Trent Mertz pitched two scoreless innings to close out the game.

Josh Bower and Joseph Jobst each had two hits in the game for West Virginia State, which advances to face No. 4 Mercyhurst in Game 9 of the tournament.

The winner will play No. 1 West Chester in the championship game at noon Sunday.