gannon vs. east stroudsburg PSAC tournament 2022
Slippery Rock Sports Information
0
Gannon GAN-B 29-17
1
Winner Charleston (W.V.) UC-B 38-17
Gannon GAN-B
29-17
0
Final
1
Charleston (W.V.) UC-B
38-17
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Gannon GAN-B 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1
Charleston (W.V.) UC-B 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 X 1 4 2

W: C. Webb (9-2) L: Sapp, Eric (9-1)

Game Recap: Baseball | | Bob Shreve, Assistant Director of Athletics Media Relations

Sapp's Herculean Effort Goes for Naught as Gannon Eliminated by Charleston at Atlantic Regional

MILLERSVILLE, Pa. – The Gannon baseball team saw its outstanding season come to a disappointing end on Friday as Charleston (WV) prevail 1-0 over the Golden Knights in a pitcher's duel. The two teams were playing in an elimination game in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional that featured three lightning delays and outstanding efforts by both starting pitchers.

Gannon's Eric Sapp (Deerfield, Ohio/Southeast), the PSAC West Pitcher of the Year, was very good despite battling through command issues early. Unfortunately, Charleston's Colt Webb was a little bit better.

Gannon, under first-year head coach DJ Cannon, sees its season come to an end at 29-17 while making its second-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament. Charleston remains alive in the regional with a 38-17 record. It was just the second time Gannon was shut out this year.

Both pitchers would finish the game despite facing a lightning delay in the bottom of the sixth inning that lasted almost 50 minutes, followed by another delay with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning that was just over an hour in length. That was after the game was delayed a half hour by lightning.

Sapp was looking to tie Gannon's season record for wins in a season while coming in with a perfect 9-0 record. The graduate student turned in a Herculean effort while throwing 135 pitches. He found his rhythm midway the game while still holding the Eagles off the scoreboard following several threats.

Sapp, now 9-1, would throw all eight innings, allowing just an unearned run and four hits. He walked six batters and struck out seven. The seven strikeouts gave him 99 for the season, breaking teammate Deven Judy's (Belle Vernon, Pa./Belle Vernon Area) season record of 96.

Webb improved to 9-2 while limiting the Golden Knights to three hits. The burly righthander, a redshirt senior, walked just one and struck out 10.

Gannon's best chance to score came in the top of the ninth inning. Miguel Vega (Florida, Puerto Rico/Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy) led off the inning with a single to left, and stole second for his 29th steal of the season while Ian Hess (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) was striking out on the pitch. The stolen base leaves Vega tied for fourth in the record books. Brandon Wetherholt (Gibsonia, Pa./Mars Area) would hit a ball through the legs of Webb that was called an error, but Charleston kept the ball in the infield, leaving Vega on third base with one out. Webb picked up his tenth strikeout against Ryan Kalbfus (Penfield, N.Y./Penfield), and the game ended with Jorge Mejia (San Juan, Puerto Rico/Colegio San Jose) flying out to center field.       

After Gannon was retired in order in the top of the first inning, Charleston scored the lone run of the game without the benefit of a hit. Leadoff batter Jordan Bailey walked and reached second after being picked off at first but getting into when the ball was mishandled at the bag. After a flyout Bailey stole third. Braxton Boddorf walked to put runners on first and third. Sapp was able to limit the damage to one run. Eric Chartier hit what appeared to be a tailor-made double play ball to shortstop but beat the throw to first, with Bailey scoring on the play. A fly out to right ended the inning.

Gannon had its first opportunity to score in the third inning. Luke Callahan (Chardon, Ohio/Chardon) singled up the middle but was thrown out stealing. With two outs, Anthony Bryan hit a fly ball that carried over the right fielder's head and the freshman hustled his way into a triple. Vega followed with a groundout to third on the next pitch.

Sapp continued to pitch his way out of trouble while finally starting to find his rhythm in the fifth. The big left hander pitched around a one-out double in the second, and a pair of walks in the third. He was aided in the latter inning as Brandan Rea (Washington, Pa./Canon-McMillan) threw out Bailey attempting to steal second. He walked the leadoff batter for the third time in four innings but helped his own cause by whirling and throwing to second for the out on an attempted sacrifice. Sapp allowed a two-out double in the bottom of the fifth but induced a lineout to left to end the inning.

The bottom of the sixth inning began with Sapp walking the leadoff batter for the fourth time. At that point play was stopped for the second time due to lightning. The game began a half hour late due to lightning, and the second delay lasted almost 50 minutes. Sapp came back out and looked better after the delay, but escaped serious trouble in the sixth. Following an out, Drew Klaserner reached on a ball that was misplayed in the outfield for a double, putting runners on second and third. Kalbfus made a nice play on a chopper with the infield in and threw to first for the second out. A groundout to short left Eagles stranded at second and third.

Gannon was unable to threaten in the seventh or eighth innings, but Sapp looked stronger and in the process recorded his school-record 97th strikeout of the season. He broke Judy's record with a punchout of Andre Martinez to start the seventh inning.

Sapp retired the first two batters of the eighth inning on a groundout and a strikeout, his sixth of the game. With a 1-2 count on Brayden McCallister the umpires halted the action for a third on the day due to lightning.   

Incredibly, Sapp came back out after a 63-minute delay and would yield a single to McCallister on his first pitch. Cannon made a visit to the mound but left the southpaw in the game. He proceeded to record his seventh strikeout to send the game to the top of the ninth.

Bryan's triple and the singles by Callahan and Vega were the lone hits for Gannon on the day.
 
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