West Chester Captures Fifth Straight Bill Giles Title, 5-2

The following is a press release from the Athletic Department

Matt Baer went 2-for-4 with a home run and a pair of RBI, and Jordan Lehman threw five innings of no-hit ball as West Chester University captured its fifth straight Bill Giles Invitational championship with a 5-2 win over Wilmington University at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on a gorgeous Tuesday afternoon.
 
West Chester (27-6) picked up its ninth Bill Giles title overall in the 12-year history of the tournament that features the four Division II colleges in the Philadelphia area. Wilmington (24-13) lost to West Chester for the fifth time in the Bill Giles championship game.
 
Josh Heyne and Baer hit back-to-back run-scoring singles that gave West Chester a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. The Golden Rams posted two more runs in the fourth when Wilmington lifted starter Ray Gambone in favor of Tim Racek. Baer greeted Racek with a blast to left field over the Models sign into the fifth row of the blue seats. Two batters later, Reid Pulford deposited a Racek offering into the flower beds just above the Models sign to double West Chester’s lead.
 
Meanwhile, Lehman (2-2) cruised through the Wildcats lineup, working quickly and effectively by getting quick outs in the first five frames. He walked the second batter of the game and then proceeded to set down the next 14 Wilmington hitters in succession, leaving with a no-hitter through five.
 
The Wildcats plated a pair of runs in the sixth off reliever John Barr. However, freshman righty, Matt McAllister came on to get West Chester out of the inning without any more damage.
 
The Rams got one of those runs back in their half of the sixth when they loaded the bases, and Heyne was able to score from third when Wilmington’s catcher threw the ball into left field on a failed pickoff attempt.
 
McAllister proved to be just as effective as Lehman, going 2.1 innings in relief, allowing just one hit and striking out three. Lefty Conor Kerins came on and got WCU out of the eighth, and then retired the first batter of the ninth, before submarine-style righty Kyle Weary recorded the final two outs for his second save of the year.
 
Wilmington managed just two runs on two hits and committed two errors. West Chester scored five runs on nine hits and committed just one error.
 
Baer, Heyne and Pulford each finished with a pair of hits.
 
The Golden Rams have now won 10 straight games in the Bill Giles Invitational, dating back to 2007. West Chester is 20-2 all-time in the tournament.