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CARY, N.C. – West Chester University scored five runs in the top of the ninth inning, but fell short in its comeback bid as the second-ranked Golden Rams saw their magical season come to an end with an 8-6 defeat at the hands of No. 1 UC San Diego Tuesday afternoon at the U.S. Baseball Training Complex.
West Chester (46-12) ends its season with two straight losses in the Division II national finals. UC San Diego (40-14) moves on in the loser’s bracket to Wednesday where the Tritons will face the loser of the Lynn-Dowling matchup Tuesday night.
Freshman Matt Baer hit a grand slam in the top of the ninth to pull the Golden Rams within striking distance (8-6), but could not continue the momentum. It was Baer’s third homer of the season and second grand slam on the year.
"Matt had a real good swing to put us back in the ballgame," first baseman Blair Dameron said. "We played well. But, fell just a little bit short."
"I was hoping he would bring a fastball and he did," Baer said of his grand slam. "I was a little late on it, but it still went."
"Unfortunately, this is the way most seasons end," head coach Greg Mamula commented at the press conference. "If you finish your season with a win, either you are national champions or you didn’t have a very good season.
"I truly believe that this group could have competed for a national championship. We just weren’t good enough in our first two games of the tournament."
UC San Diego put up a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth inning that extended its lead to 8-1. Those two tallies proved to be extremely important. Tim Mort led off with a single off senior David Slusser, who came on in relief of Eric Carmichael. Vance Albitz sacrificed Mort to second and the right fielder then stole third.
Josh Tanner singled home Mort and would eventually move up to second when an errant pickoff attempt was in the dirt and rolled to the fence behind first base. Garrett Imeson flew out for the second out of the inning, and Brandon Gregorich followed with a single up the middle on an 0-2 pitch that plated Tanner.
After a 36-minute rain delay, the Tritons pushed single runs across in each of the sixth and seventh innings to extend their lead to 6-1.
The Tritons scored three runs in the bottom of the third with two men out to open up a 4-0 lead.
With runners on second and third, Robert Sedin hit a ball up the middle that hopped over the shoulder of WCU shortstop Nick Spisak and rolled into center field, allowing two runs to score and Sedin to race around to third base. Kehoe hit an RBI double to score the first run of the frame.
Kevin McGrath hit his seventh home run of the season to lead off the fourth and cut the deficit by one. However, the Golden Rams could not get their bats going consistently against UCSD starter Matt Rossman (8-2).
The right-hander for the Tritons pitched 8 2/3 innings, allowing five runs on six hits, walking four and striking out two. UCSD head coach Dan O’Brien wanted Rossman to finish the game, but the junior ran out of gas.
Ryland McFadyen finished up, surrendering the grand slam to Bear. He got Kevin McGrath to ground out to third to end the game, following Baer’s blast.
For West Chester University, its 2009 campaign will go down as one of the best in school history.
"All five of our seniors led us throughout this season," Mamula added. "They’ve taken this team on their backs and carried us to this point. This program is very fortunate to have had all five. (Cotellese) obviously being one of the five.
"He’s had an outstanding career and basically rewritten the West Chester record book as well as the PSAC record book. I believe he is going to get an opportunity to play professional baseball, and I suspect he’ll have a lot of success at that as well.
"(Cotellese) is a gifted baseball player, but even a better person."
Junior co-captain, Nick Spisak believes the group returning in 2010 forms a nucleus that will have the Golden Rams back in the College World Series.
"The biggest thing to keep in mind is to learn from each group that comes through," shortstop Nick Spisak said. "The freshmen have to step into new roles and the guys who have been around have to step up and fill the shoes of the seniors. The program is a building block every season. I believe guys will take on new roles, and we will be right back here in this position again next year."
GAME NOTES: West Chester finishes the 2009 campaign with a school single-season record 46 victories … the Golden Rams reached the NCAA Division II national finals for the second time in the last four years … West Chester’s senior class posted a school-record 163-65 (.715) mark over its four-year stint, the most in any four-year span in school history … Sr., OF Matt Cotellese finishes his college career with 304 hits (.373 career BA), 202 runs scored and 200 RBI. All three are both PSAC and WCU records … Cotellese is the first PSAC player to eclipse 300 hits, 200 runs and 200 RBI in a career … Cotellese was named first team ABCA first team All-America it was announced at the College World Series … he was also a first team pick in 2008 … Nick Spisak set a PSAC single-season record with 71 runs scored.
