JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Shepherd University  used an 18-hit attack en route to a 13-6 win over West Virginia State in WVIAC Baseball Tournament action at Point Stadium on Saturday.  

 

Shepherd took a 5-0 lead in the third inning. Senior first baseman Nathan Minnich (Waynesboro, PA/Waynesboro Area Sr.), junior outfielder Jake Cook (Centreville, MD/Queen Anne’s), junior second baseman Chad Murphy (North Olmsted, OH/North Olmsted), and sophomore catcher Ryan Messina (St. James, NY/Smithtown East), and senior designated hitter Nash Hutter (Sunland, CA/Verdugo Hills/Glendale CC) each drove in a run.

 

The Yellow Jackets answered back with three runs in the fourth. Eric Temple’s two-run homer highlighted the rally.

 

West Virginia State tied the game at 5-all in the sixth. The Yellow Jackets took advantage of a Ram error and a wild pitch to plate a pair of runs .

 

Shepherd plated eight runs on five hit in the seventh to take a commanding 13-5 advantage. Sophomore outfielder Michael Lott (Woodbridge, VA/Woodbridge) and freshman shortstop Bryan DiRosario (Alexandria, VA/Hayfield Secondary School) each had two-run single to key the rally.

 

The Yellow Jackets added a run in the eighth on an RBI-single from Bill Smith.

 

Minnich went 3-for-3 with a pair of runs scored and an RBI to lead the Rams.  Cook added a 3-for-6 effort with two RBIs and two runs scored, while Messina was 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles, two RBIs, and a run scored.

 

Garret Kiser, Jack Hudson, and Eric Craft each had a pair of hits for West Virginia State.

 

Sophomore pitcher Trevor Appleby (Chambersburg, PA/Chambersburg) (5.0 IP, 0 Ks, 1 BB, 1 ER) picked the win in relief of starter Brandon Coffey (Manassas, VA/Osbourn) (4.0 IP, 1 K, 0 BB, 3 ER) to improve to 7-3 on the year. State reliever David Myers (0-4) took the loss for the Yellow Jackets.

Shepherd improves to 29-20, while West Virginia State falls to 22-27.  The Rams advance to Sunday’s championship game at 1 p.m. against Alderson-Broaddus.