MASON, Ohio – For the first time since 2017, the Kentucky Wesleyan College baseball team sits atop the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. Wesleyan won its second league title on Saturday by defeating the University of Findlay 12-8 in a dramatic conclusion to the G-MAC Tournament at Prasco Park. For their effort, the Panthers earned automatic access to the NCAA Tournament, also for the first time since 2017. The win stands as the Panthers 30
th this season, their most since the 2019 season.
In the previous three games of the G-MAC Championship Tournament, the Panthers erased deficits in the late innings to emerge victorious. Saturday was no different as the Oilers took an 8-4 lead after seven innings. In championship moments, heroes sometimes emerge in the most unlikely situations. In one of the many high leverage spots in the game, with the Oilers having already scored twice to take that four-run lead, Findlay had two runners in scoring position with still nobody out. Having pitched just seven innings this season,
Zach Taylor entered the game in that bottom of the seventh and forced a strikeout, a lineout, and another strikeout to end the threat and give the Panthers life going into the top of the eighth.
The Panthers put two runners on in the top of the eighth with two outs.
Baron Ratliff walked to load the bases and set the table for yet another comeback.
Rhett Dysholm responded with a bloop two-run single into shallow left.
Ellis Hurt followed by working a full count before ripping a line-drive double that went all the way to the wall to drive in two more and tie the game at 8-8.
Luke Renfrow, who did not start the game behind the plate, was called into action in the bottom of the first after
Colson Perry had to be taken out due to injury. Now at the plate with the possible winning run on second, Renfrow fired a grounder through the middle of the infield to score the go-ahead run in the form of Hurt.
With six outs left and the heart of the Oliers' lineup due up in the bottom half, the dramatics were not finished. Findlay loaded the bases with one out in the frame before the next Oiler barrelled a line-shot to third, which was grabbed by
Elijah Stockton before he stepped on third base for an inning-ending double play to preserve a 9-8 Panthers lead. Stockton, who had two home runs to his name this season, hit one of the longest blasts at Prasco Park earlier in the fourth inning with a shot that went over the center field batter's eye, which stands over three stories tall.
The Panthers then busted the game open in the top of the ninth. Stockton and
Liam Hutson were on first and third with just one out.
Jacob Riegel's grounder got the Panthers an insurance run to build a 10-8 lead. Ratliff followed with the biggest swing of the game, a two-run home run over the left field fence to give the Panthers a 12-8 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth.
David Castleberry, who came on to finish the eighth for Taylor, earned two outs on just two pitches to begin the ninth. After a walk, the Panthers' closer recorded his eighth save of the season with a strikeout of Aidan Booth.
The jubilant Panthers poured out the of the dugout for the ceremonial dog pile to celebrate their first G-MAC title since 2017. The Panthers will have to wait until Sunday evening to find out where they will headed to open the NCAA Tournament.
Hutson finished the game three for three with three walks and two runs scored. Ratliff was three for four with a double, home run, two walks, and two RBIs. Dysholm and Hurt each had three RBIs on the day.
Taylor picked up his first win of the season with 1.1 solid innings of work.
Weston Miller shined as well with 3.1 innings pitched and just one run allowed to keep Wesleyan in the fight in the middle innings.
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