West Chester finishes second as Tampa makes NCAA history

The West Chester University Golden Rams fell short in the final game of their three-game National Championship Series against the University of Tampa Spartans. The Spartans won 8-4, securing their third consecutive National Championship title, the first program to do so in NCAA Division II history. Tampa now has 11 titles as a program, a number that leads all of Division II.

“I was part of the very first title in 1992,” Tampa head coach Joe Urso reflected after the game. “Still have the group text going with my 92 team. And we had a reunion. All of them are flying back. And it really is. You can't explain it. There is a brotherhood that is built through championships. It doesn't matter what level, high school, college, or pro; it doesn't matter. It builds something special.”

Tanner Donati shined for West Chester, scoring two runs on two hits, including a solo home run. On the mound, Drew Simpson took the loss, allowing three runs in 1.1 innings on the start in what was essentially a start-by-committee for West Chester with everyone available.

“They just beat us today,” said West Chester head coach Mike LaRosa after the game. “Heartbroken for our players and our staff. They gave everything to this. Felt like our guys deserved doing it, but this doesn't always work out that way.”

The Tampa Spartans claimed Game One 7-4 in extra innings to open the series Thursday evening. After the Spartans took a 4-0 lead, the Golden Rams worked their way back into it, tying the game at 4-4 in the sixth inning. A diving catch from center fielder Carter Rust kept the Spartans from scoring in the top of the ninth, forcing extra innings. The Spartans connected in the 10th inning, scoring three runs and preventing a Rams rally to secure Game One.

With their backs against the wall, the Golden Rams scored early and often in Game Two. Taking a 2-0 lead, the Golden Rams let the Spartans get back in, with the Spartans tying the ball game up at 4-4 in the bottom of the fifth. The Rams proceeded to score in every inning from the fifth on, scoring a dozen runs to support starting pitcher Kyle Lazer, who threw his third complete game of the season to tie the series up at 1-1.

The temperature at game time sat around 90 degrees, slightly favoring the team from hot and humid Tampa, Fla. Tampa turned up the heat of their own accord in the top of the first inning. Jesse Ponce, freshly moved to the lead-off slot by Urso, slung a single into right field, later reaching second on a one-out single from Jhoander Irigoyen.

Jake Books then connected on a single into left-center field, scoring Ponce to put the Spartans on board first. Drew Simpson was able to stem the bleeding, striking out the next two Spartans batters to get out of the inning for the Golden Rams.

After a quiet bottom of the first inning, Simpson managed one strikeout while walking two Tampa batters in the top of the second. With Tampa threatening, LaRosa took no chances, going to the bullpen to call in Game One starter Julian Costa.

Two days ago, Costa threw 104 pitches over six innings, allowing only two earned runs. Costa notched the second out of the inning, forcing Ponce to fly out to left field. Costa’s two inherited runners would score, however, as the hot-handed Brayden Woodburn hit a double into left center field, giving Tampa a 3-0 lead.

Jack Martinez, nephew of former Major Leaguer and Tampa alum Tino Martinez, walked to lead off the fourth inning for Tampa. Ponce followed up with a bunt to move the runner into scoring position. Costa, who fielded the bunt, slipped while rushing to get set for the throw, causing an error that resulted in both runners reaching safely.

Woodburn then hit a ground ball back to Costa, who opted to get Martinez out at second on the fielder’s choice. Irigoyen followed up with a double into left center field, scoring Ponce and moving Woodburn to third. Books was next up, batting in Woodburn on a groundout to second base.

Jordan Evans closed out the scoring for Tampa on the inning, singling into right-center field, scoring Irigoyen and knocking Costa out of the game after only 2.1 innings.

The Golden Rams were kept scoreless in the first four frames as Spartans pitcher John Luke Glanton kept them to only two hits.

The bottom of the fifth inning, however, saw the Rams wake up. Tanner Donati reached on a first out single, advancing to third two batters later on a single into left center from Landen Rozich. Carter Rust finally broke the ice for the Rams, singling into left field, scoring Donati.

One batter later, Glanton’s day would conclude after a walk to Caleb Strawhecker. Tampa went to two-way player Luke Fikar, who started the day at second base. Fikar got Harry Middlebrooks to fly out to left center field, ending the inning and closing Glanton’s line at 4.2 innings pitched with five hits and one run.

The cut into Tampa’s lead was quickly erased in the top of the sixth. Woodburn hit a leadoff double into left center field off West Chester pitcher Kyle Rogers. Woodburn then scored on a single from Irigoyen to put Tampa up by six runs once more at 7-1.

Fast forward to the bottom of the seventh, and time seemingly was running out for West Chester. Fikar had recorded four straight outs since stepping onto the mound, and there were only nine outs remaining to attempt a comeback.

Donati began the rally in the fifth for West Chester and intended to do the same to start the seventh. On a 2-2 count, the junior designated hitter slapped a line drive over the wall in right field for a leadoff home run.

Christian Michak and Rozich followed up with back-to-back singles, putting runners on the corners for the Golden Rams. With no outs, Rust took advantage of the runner on third, hitting a sacrifice fly to cut the Spartans’ lead to 7-3. The Rams would fail to plate Rozich as well on the inning, leaving them with six outs to score at least four runs.

Despite a double from Hunter Smith in the bottom of the eighth, West Chester failed to plate a run on the inning.

A leadoff single from the pitcher Fikar put a runner on base to start the top of the ninth for Tampa. Tampa intended to get a fifth run on the inning, keeping West Chester out of grand slam-tying territory.

After a sacrifice bunt for the first out, West Chester also went to a two-way player, putting in Rozich from short with the top of the order due up for Tampa. Ponce wasted little time, slapping a double to the wall in right center field, scoring Fikar to give Tampa the 8-3 lead. Rozich got out of the inning on two straight foul-outs from Irigoyen and Books with Tampa holding the five-run lead.

With Tampa just three outs away from becoming the first program to win three straight Division II titles, Rozich went from the mound to the plate in hopes of starting a rally. Rozich slapped a triple to the center field wall as the center fielder, Evans, lost his footing on the warning track to let the ball hit the ground unimpeded.

Rust singled into right field, scoring Rozick. The first out of the inning came on a fly-out from Strawhecker into right field. Out number two came on a foul-out from Middlebrooks to third base.

With their back against the wall, the Golden Rams turned to slugger Austin Stalker. Rust stole second on the first pitch. On a 1-2 count, Stalker flew out to center field as the Spartans celebrated their third-straight National Championship.

As the Spartans celebrated, Luke Fikar, a two-way second baseman and pitcher, was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player.

“It's special,” Fikar commented after the game. “I was just happy to be a part of the three-peat. You know, they did the first two. And, you know, we got people like Brayden Woodburn, and he took me under his wing, and he was the big brother this season. He showed a lot of us the ways that Tampa competes and the way Tampa wins and how we're a family.”

In the final game, Fikar went 2-for-4 at the plate with one run scored. On the mound, he pitched 4.1 innings, allowing only one run. He earned the win in both Game One and Three for the Spartans.

This concludes what will go down as a historic season for the West Chester Golden Rams. The Rams broke their team record for most wins in program history with a final record of 48-12. This also marks their third trip to the final game of the NCAA Tournament and their first loss on that stage.

“It's raw right now, obviously,” LaRosa reflected after the loss. “Once the dust settles, everybody will look back and realize this was a very successful season. They'll remember all the special moments… It was a great group of guys. Really just a pleasure to be around every day. They love being around each other. They love being around the game. They, you know, made my job easy in that regard. And, you know, it's tough because, you know, no matter what you go into today, you've got guys like Stalk and the seniors, they know it's their last game. So there's emotion around that. And then the team knows this is the last time they're together… and there's emotion around that. And then ultimately, on top of that, you're playing for a national championship. So, you know, there's a lot of emotion around that. And that's tough… But I think, you know, they'll look back and realize this was a really successful season.”