GREENVILLE, Ill. - The Westminster College Blue Jays' sizzling offense was slowed just enough to extend the championship clash.
Westminster managed only two hits through six scoreless innings before breaking out for five runs in the bottom of the seventh, but Greenville (Illinois) College held on for a 9-6 win late Saturday afternoon to force a deciding game for the title of the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference postseason tournament.
The Blue Jays (27-13) - the No. 2 seed out of the West Division - had combined for 22 runs and 27 hits in cruising to commanding victories in their first two tournament games. The Panthers (24-20), the No. 2 seed from the East, prevailed in their third straight elimination game after bowing to Webster University 3-2 in opening-round play Thursday night.
Westminster and Greenville squared off in the decisive matchup for the SLIAC championship later Saturday afternoon. Results were not available at press time.
The Panthers appeared to be in control in Saturday's earlier contest, tallying two runs in the top of the second and then adding a run in the fifth, three in the sixth and two in the seventh to build an 8-0 advantage.
The Blue Jays' skimpy production to that point were singles from junior catcher Nolan Bax in the third and sixth innings. Westminster started to show some signs of coming around in its half of the seventh when senior third baseman Tyler Branneky doubled down the third-base line and quickly scored on junior first baseman Nick Cessna's triple to right.
Junior Tanner Branneky - who started on the mound for Westminster - then reached on a one-out error and advanced to second on the play, allowing Cessna to score. Junior left fielder Conner Hager was safe on an infield single with two outs and Bax followed with his third single of the game to left, bringing home Tanner Branneky to make it 8-3.
Hager went to second on the play and came around to score on sophomore shortstop Adam Mundle's single to left, with Bax advancing to second. Senior right fielder Deion Hughes was then hit by a pitch to load the bases and Bax dashed home on a wild pitch to bring the Blue Jays within 8-5.
Westminster pulled within two runs on sophomore second baseman Blake Strebler's RBI double in the eighth, but Greenville tacked on a critical run in the top of the ninth. Hughes tripled to right with two outs in the bottom of the inning for the Blue Jays, but Tyler Branneky struck out looking to end the game.
Bax went 3-for-4 as Westminster collected nine hits. Cessna and Hughes were both 1-for-3, while Strebler, Tyler Branneky and Hager were each 1-for-4.
Tanner Brannkey (2-2), the first of three pitchers for the Blue Jays, suffered the loss. He allowed six earned runs on 11 hits in six innings, issued five walks and struck out two. Westminster committed three errors.
On Friday, sophomore center fielder Nick Bohlmann set a school single-season record with his two-run triple and Tanner Branneky - playing right field - supplied a solo home run as Westminster advanced with a 10-1 rout of Webster.
Hughes (12-1) threw a complete game, giving up just an earned run on eight hits while striking out 10 and issuing only one walk.
Webster - the top seed in the West - took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, but Westminster pulled even on Branneky's solo shot, his 10th home run of the season, in the top of the second. The Blue Jays took the lead for good on Cessna's RBI single in the third and Westminster made it 4-1 with two runs in the fourth.
Bohlmann's two-run triple highlighted the Blue Jays' four-run outburst in the seventh. It was Bohlmann's school-record fifth triple of the season.
Westminster then topped off its scoring with two runs in the eighth.
Mundle finished 3-for-5 with two doubles, an RBI and scored twice as the Blue Jays produced 11 hits and capitalized on four Webster errors. Tyler Branneky went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored, while Cessna was 1-for-3 with a pair of sacrifice flies and three RBI.