GREENVILLE, Ill. - The Blue Jays' season ended when they were eliminated by the Panthers in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference postseason tournament Friday afternoon.
Westminster College - the No. 2 seed in the SLIAC West Division - was edged by Spalding (Kentucky) University 3-2 in its first tournament game earlier Friday in Edwardsville, Illinois. The Blue Jays finished the season with a 17-15 record.
Greenville University - the No. 2 seed in the East Division - jumped on Westminster for three runs in the bottom of the first inning. The Panthers piled on three runs in the fourth and two runs in the eighth to build an 8-0 edge.
The Blue Jays avoided being shut out when they tallied both of their runs in the top of the ninth. Senior designated hitter Ryan Klimkiewicz had an RBI single and freshman pinch-hitter Drew Bax was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force home a run.
Klimkiewicz was 1-for-4 and freshman third baseman Hayden Hirschvogel also went 1-for-4 with a run scored as Westminster was limited to six hits.
Senior starter Ian Cassidy went seven innings in suffering the loss for the Blue Jays. Cassidy (5-4) allowed six runs - five earned - on nine hits and struck out four.
Spalding - the top seed in the East Division - scored a walk-off win over Westminster earlier Friday when it logged the decisive run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth.
The Blue Jays tied the game at 2-all when they tallied both of their runs in the top of the sixth. Junior catcher Branden Beeler produced an RBI groundout and Klimkiewicz drove in a run with a single.
Junior center fielder Zach Eisenreich finished 2-for-4 with a triple and a run scored as Westminster managed only six hits.
Freshman pitcher Mason Kirkweg took the complete-game loss for the Blue Jays, who were plagued by five errors. Kirkweg (5-3) gave up three runs - one earned - on seven hits, struck out five and issued three walks.