CARY, N.C.- In need of just one win to make its first Division II Baseball National Championship game appearance since 2017, the West Chester University baseball team (47-10) erased a three-run deficit in the eighth inning for a thrilling 6-5 victory over UT-Tyler (50-14) on Wednesday afternoon at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary. West Chester erased a deficit twice on Wednesday afternoon, first erasing a one-run deficit after the first before coming back from being down 5-2 in the eighth to eliminate the Patriots and advance to the National Championship series against Tampa or Catawba, depending on which team advances.

West Chester did it a bit differently on Wednesday as the Golden Rams scored five runs on six hits in each of their first two games in North Carolina before scoring six run son five this and seven walks, including a bases-loaded walk by Andrew Kell (Columbia, Md./Oakland Mills) as a part of the four-run eighth inning, which saw West Chester erase the deficit with three runs and three walks for its 23^rd come from behind victory of the season.

"There is a lot to unpack from that game," opened head coach Mike LaRosa. "It was an intense game all afternoon, and full credit to UT-Tyler. They are a really tough team top-to-bottom that just keeps coming at you with great arms, great defense, and great at bats. With that said, I'm just so proud of the way our guys competed and came up big when it mattered most," continued LaRosa. "Big defensive plays like the two double plays we turned really helped us out of jams all day, and whenever they got a big hit, our bats had an answer right away."

With today's victory, West Chester punches its ticket to the NCAA Division II Baseball Championship series against the winner of the semifinal matchup, which features two-time defending National Champion Tampa against Catawba, who is trying to complete its run through the losers' bracket. If Tampa completes another unbeaten run through its half of the bracket, the Golden Rams and Spartans will begin their best-of-three series for the Division II Baseball National Championship on Thursday night at 6 p.m. If Tampa falls to Catawba in another elimination game for Catawba later tonight, the two teams will meet in an elimination game for both sides, with the Championship Series to begin on Friday night, followed by a potential two games on Saturday if necessary.

The Golden Rams are making their third NCAA Division II National Championship game appearance in program history and searching for their third title in as many appearances, with the last title coming in 2017 when the Division II Finals were played in Texas. This will be the Golden Rams' first appearance in the Championship Series, as this new format began a year ago.

Today's win also helps West Chester set a new program-win record as the Golden Rams picked up their 47^th win of the season, surpassing the mark that the 2009 and 2012 squads had previously held.

Asked about breaking the program's win record, which had stood since 2009, LaRosa said, "It's certainly been a magical season. This group, from top to bottom, keeps finding ways to win games and truly never gives in, no matter what just happened, whether it is good or bad. This team competes on every pitch, all game long, and it is a ton of fun for us (as coaches) to watch. That type of competitiveness is something we always preach, but we don't always get the buy-in that we've gotten out of this group," explained LaRosa.

Trailing heading into the eighth for the first time since the PSAC Championship game against Millersville, West Chester found itself down 5-2 with six outs to work with after a three-run home run in the home half of the seventh but manufactured a clutch home half of the eighth, scoring four runs on three hits, including a two-RBI single by Patrick Gozdan (Warminster, Pa./Archbishop Wood) along with three walks to erase the three-run deficit and carry a 6-5 lead into the home half of the eighth.

Today's win, aside from setting a new program's m win record, is the Golden Rams' 23^rd comeback win of the season. When asked about this stat, Gozdan said, "It's something the coaches really preach, and we really embrace as a team. This is such a great group that we feel like the game is never really over, and we just want to keep competing and trying to find a way to win," explained the sophomore infielder.

After a quick top of the first, which saw UT-Tyler become the first team to keep West Chester off the scoreboard in the first inning since Millersville on May 22^nd (a game, which West Chester went on to win by a 9-2 final to punch its ticket to Cary for the sixth time in team history), the Patriots scored the first run of the game with an RBI single by Kaston Mason to give UT-Tyler a 1-0 lead heading into the second.

Trailing to start the second inning for the first time since that PSAC Championship game against Millersville, West Chester found itself with two outs in the second quickly before Tanner Donati (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon) extended the inning with a hit-by-pitch. Kell picked up West Chester's first hit of the game with a two-out single to left before Harry Middlebrooks (Bel Air, Md./Archbishop Curley) was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Landen Rozich (Oxford, Pa./Oxford) followed this up with a walk, which pushed across the Golden Rams' first run of the game and tied the game at 1-1 before Carter Rust (Liberty Township, Pa./Lakota West) lined a single through the left side to give West Chester back a 2-1 lead.

Luke Raho (Johnstown, Pa./Richland) settled in after a rocky first inning and delivered a 1,2,3 second and another 1,2,3 frame in the third as West Chester carried its 2-1 advantage into the fourth.

Raho found himself in a jam for the first time since the first inning to start the home half of the fourth after a walk and a single gave the Patriots runners on first and second with no outs. Cole Ketzner tried to get a bunt down to move both runners, but Raho forced him to pop it up and made a tremendous play in front of the mound to lead and catch the bunt before wheeling around and firing to second to double off the lead runner and come just a pitch away from getting out of the inning. This pitch came moments later with a pop-up to second by Spencer Simpson on the first pitch of his second time to the plate to keep the lead intact heading into the fifth.

Raho got his first out of the fifth before allowing a solo home run to Travis Bragg, which tied the game at 2-2. Connor Clark followed this with a single, and Brock Bearden worked a walk, which gave the Patriots runners on first and second with one out in the fifth. West Chester turned to its bullpen, and Kyle Rogers (Clifton, N.J./Clifton) entered in relief and escaped the inning before also working a scoreless sixth, thanks in part to a hard-hit 6-4-3 double play off the bat of Ketzner for his second double play of the afternoon.

West Chester was unable to get anything going in the top of the seventh, but UT-Tyler started the home seventh against a new arm in Ben Jones (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville) with a double to right center. Jones got an important first out via a strikeout before the Patriots got runners on the corners with an infield single, which led to another pitching change as Drew Simpson (Hockessin, Del./DMA) entered in relief. Facing a new pitcher, Kaston Mason drove the first pitch he saw off the Coleman Field scoreboard in right field to give UT-Tyler its first lead since the second inning at 5-2.  Back-to-back singles helped UT-Tyler keep the pressure on West Chester as the Patriots suddenly had runners on first and second with only one away in the seventh. Simpson worked out of the inning without any further damage to keep the deficit right where it was heading into the eighth.

Dylan Blomquist, who pitched eight strong innings for UT-Tyler in a win over Central Missouri to open the Finals, returned on short rest on Wednesday and delivered another gem, working into the eighth inning after allowing just two runs on two hits and three walks, while striking out five in his first seven innings of work.

Already with 111 pitches heading into the eighth after throwing 109 in eight innings against Central Missouri to start the week, Blomquist got an important first out of the eighth with a ground ball to second before Caleb Strawhecker (West Grove, Pa./Avon Grove) picked up the Golden Rams third hit of the game with a single into right center before Stalker ripped a single through the left side to give the Golden Rams runners on first and second with one out. Smith followed this up with a walk, which closed the book on Blomquist with over 130 pitches thrown on the afternoon.

 Jacob Hadden entered in relief and was greeted by Patrick Gozdan (Warminster, Pa./Archbishop Wood), who singled home a pair to make it a one-run game. Donati worked a walk to reload the bases, and West Chester scored the tying run when Kell worked a walk of his own to tie the game at 5-5. Middlebrooks followed this up with a fly ball to right, which scored Gozdan and gave West Chester a 6-5 lead with two outs in the eighth.

Asked about his sac fly, which plated the winning run, Middlebrooks said, "Once the game got tied, I knew all I had to do was drive a ball and try to get something in the air into the outfield, and that would do the job."

Nick Cugino (West Chester, Pa./Henderson) entered in relief in the eighth and allowed a leadoff single but got two important outs on a sac bunt and a strikeout to get a pair of outs with the tying run just 180 feet away. With Mason due up next, Fleming made another mound visit, and West Chester chose to award the dangerous designated hitter with a free pass to first base, opting instead to face Drew Schmidt, who was also 3-for-4 on the day to this point. Cugino got a crucial third out of the inning on a fielder's choice as he got Schmidt to roll over on one and hit a soft groundball to Rozich to keep a one-run lead intact into the ninth.

Rust started the ninth with a walk, but West Chester was unable to add to its lead as the team was forced to try and hold on to a slim one-run lead in the home half of the ninth.

Landen Rozich (Oxford, Pa./Oxford) entered in relief in the ninth and got the three outs West Chester needed to secure his fifth save of the season, help West Chester tie the single-season program win record, and return to the National Championship series for the first time since 2017.

Raho got the start and had the longest outing of any Golden Ram on Wednesday as he pitched the first 4.1 innings, allowing just two runs on five hits and three walks, while striking out four. Rogers worked 1.2 scoreless innings in relief, allowing just two hits, while striking out another before Jones and Simpson combined to finish the seventh. Cugino worked a scoreless eighth before Rozich finished off the ninth for his staff-best fifth save of the 2026 season.

Up Next

West Chester will be back in action on Thursday or Friday in game one of the National Championship series against Tampa or Catawba. First pitch will be at 6 p.m.