WATERBURY, Conn. - - The final game of the 2022 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Tournament was necessary on Saturday, but the Wilmington University baseball team battled back to claim its ninth Conference Championship, 8-6, over Post at Municipal Stadium.
It is the program's third CACC Tournament Championship since 2018, winning the title in back-to-back years in 2018 and 2019. A champion was not crowned in 2020, meaning they have won three of the last four Conference Championships. Head coach Brian August has guided the program to nine CACC Tournament Championships in his 18 year tenure, winning the ultimate prize in 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2018, 2019, and now 2022.
After losing the opening game, 6-5, to force game seven, the Eagles carried the momentum into the winner-take-all game and scored four runs in the first two innings to take a 4-0 lead.
CJ Deery put the Wildcats on the board in the bottom of the third with a one-out RBI single, but it wasn't until the fifth when the Wildcats really started their comeback.
JJ Killen started a two-run fifth with an RBI single to score Erik Grady. Nic Hertzfeld followed suit two batters later with an RBI single, making it 4-3.
The Eagles tacked on a run in the top of the sixth on an error, but the offense came back up and took the lead in the home half. Shawn Haut and Adrian Jimenez singled with one out and then came home as Erik Grady reached on a throwing error by the pitcher, allowing everyone, even Grady, to come around and score to make it 6-5 in favor of the Wildcats. Nic Hertzfeld hit a two-out double to left to score JJ Killen and the Wildcats were in control, 7-5, after six full innings.
Quintin Ivy walked to start the seventh and eventually was brough in on a sacrifice fly to give the Wildcats a three-run lead, 8-5.
Alex Hinton left a runner on in the top of the eighth and then Alex Krick was called on for the ninth. The Eagles got a lead-off walk, but Krick induced a 4-6-3 double play. An error kept the inning alive and a double scored a run, but then the freshman picked up a strikeout to start the celebration, 8-6.
Jack McDonald was named the CACC Tournament MVP after bringing in nine runs in four games. Nic Hertzfeld, John Mead, Kyle Maxwell, and Erik Grady joined McDonald on the All-Tournament Team.
Matt Warrington battled through five innings with five strikeouts. Dom Grady pitched 1.1 scoreless innings and improved to 3-0 with the win. Alex Krick earned his seventh save of the year.
In the opener, Post hit a grand slam in the second and then added two runs in the top of the fifth to hang on. John Mead had three RBI in his first three at-bats and the Wildcats closed to within 6-5 in the bottom of the sixth but left one runner on base in each of their final five at-bats. Justin Barcoski, Lance Hinton, and Justin Brooks all had scoreless outing out of the pen in the opener.