PITTSBURGH, PA – The dynasty continues! La Roche College Baseball are champions again after coming back to beat Pitt-Greensburg 7-3 in the AMCC Championship Game. It is their fifth straight AMCC Title and their AMCC-record sixth in the past seven years.
The Redhawks offense was held in check for a majority of the afternoon. Things turned immediately in the sixth inning when Dylan Urban blasted a grand slam to give La Roche their first lead of the game. Nick Tunstall limited Pitt-Greensburg to just three runs while Shane Emrich shut the door in the ninth.
Pitt-Greensburg got two runs across in the top of the first.
Tunstall settled down and followed with three straight scoreless innings. He left runners on in the second and fourth innings and went 1-2-3 in the third inning.
The Bobcats took a 3-0 lead with an unearned run in the fifth inning.
La Roche cut it to 3-1 in the bottom of the fifth. Gino Quahliero pulled a one-out single into left field and went from first to third on a Jonathan Melendez hit and run. Urban got the job done with his team-leading fifth sac fly on the season.
Tunstall followed with two straight scoreless innings and the Redhawk offense got to work in the bottom of the seventh.
Jay Novak and Jonathan Melendez singled and Gino Quahliero drew a 3-2 walk to load the bases. Urban stepped into the batter's box, and with one swing of the bat, gave the Redhawaks a 5-3 lead. Urban belted a grand slam deep over the left field wall for his first career home run and a spot in AMCC Championship history.
Later in the inning, Professori tacked on an RBI single to score Trickett and a 6-3 lead. Quahliero hit Novak for a four run lead in the eighth.
Jake Seymour tossed a perfect eighth inning. Shane Emrich entered in the ninth to close it out. The senior went 1-2-3 and ended it with a called strike three and their sixth championship in the past seven seasons.
Urban hit in all five runs. Novak and Quahliero each scored twice.
Tunstall improve to 7-1. He struck out 7 and allowed just one earned run over seven innings. Emrich picked up his eighth save.
Urban, Seymour, and Tre Thomas were named to the AMCC All-Tournament Team.
The Redhawks advance to the NCAA Regional and will await their seed and destination. Brackets will be released Sunday/Monday.