West Chester University baseball built a reputation this season as a top-scoring ball club across the NCAA Division II level. Friday, in an elimination game against the University of Tampa, West Chester plated a dozen runs to force a Game Three, defeating Tampa 12-4.
Harry Middlebrooks and Austin Stalker each hit home runs for the Golden Rams, with Patrick Gozdan reaching base four times on two hits and two walks.
Kyle Lazer, meanwhile, pitched a complete game for the Golden Rams, allowing only one earned run and striking out a season-high 11 batters.
Now walk it out
Carter Rust, who prevented Tampa from winning in regulation in Game One with a diving catch in center field, led off the top of the first with a single up the middle. Caleb Strawhecker followed up by connecting on the first pitch from Tampa pitcher B.J. Bailey, sending it into right field.
After Harry Middlebrooks was hit by a pitch, the Golden Rams recorded two consecutive outs. Austin Stalker flew out to left field, too shallow to score Rust from third, while Hunter Smith struck out on three pitches.
Patrick Gozdan stepped up to the plate with two outs and did not even need to lift his bat to record an RBI. Walking on four pitches, Gozdan scored Rust from third to give the Golden Rams a 1-0 advantage.
West Chester increased their lead in the top of the third. With two outs, Smith and Gozdan worked back-to-back walks, putting two runners on base for Tanner Donati. Donati worked a 10-pitch at bat before slipping a single into right field, scoring Smith to double West Chester’s lead.
A home run for the Books
After working through two scoreless frames, West Chester starting pitcher Kyle Lazer found his way into trouble in the bottom of the third. In need of a shutdown inning, Lazer notched two quick outs before a single from Brayden Woodburn put a runner on base for Tampa.
Jhoander Irigoyen then hit a ground ball to short. With a slight bobble on the play from shortstop Landen Rozich, Irigoyen beat the throw by inches to first. Originally called out on the field, Tampa challenged the play with the replay confirming that Irigoyen beat the throw.
With two runners on base, Jake Books slugged a home run into right field, giving the Spartans a 3-2 lead over the Golden Rams through three innings.
A Golden moment for the rookie
The two-out rally theme for Game Two continued in the top of the fifth. Gozdan slung a single up the middle with a full count to put a runner on for the Golden Rams. During Tyler Donati’s plate appearance, Gozdan stole second, but would eventually have been given it anyway as Gozdan walked.
Christian Michak then worked a single of his own, loading the bases for West Chester. Freshman Landen Rosich then stroked a single into center field, scoring Gozdan and Donati to regain a lead for West Chester 4-3.
Middlebrooks in the middle of it
Lazer returned to the mound in the bottom of the fifth with hopes of securing a much-needed shutdown inning for West Chester. Jack Martinez worked a five-pitch walk to lead off the inning, indicating Tampa had different plans in mind.
With Jordan Evans at the plate, Martinez took a chance, stealing second. Called out on the field, a long challenge determined that Martinez slipped in just before the tag arrived.
Now with a runner on second base with no outs, Evans dropped a sacrifice bunt to move him into scoring position. Woodburn then scored Martinez, grounding out to third base as third baseman Middlebrooks opted to go for the guaranteed out at first. The run would go down as the lone earned run on Lazer’s tab on the day.
Middlebrooks’ decision allowed the run to score for Tampa, so it was only proper that he evened the ledger for West Chester. Up second in the top of the sixth, Middlebrooks connected on a breaking ball, sending it into left center field for a solo home run, regaining West Chester’s one-run advantage at 5-4.
West Chester declared hittin’ season
The Rams increased their lead in the top of the seventh, beginning with a one-out double from Michak down the left field line. Michak then found the opportunity to steal third before Rust batted him in on a two-out single into right field.
Following a shutdown bottom of the seventh inning for Lazer, Strawhecker led off the top of the eighth with a full-count walk. Middlebrooks bunted Strawhecker over to second base, prompting Tampa to intentionally walk slugger Austin Stalker.
Smith then hit the second sacrifice bunt of the inning to move both runners into scoring position. Gozdan took care of the runners from there, batting them in on a single into left field.
Donati popped up into right field, seemingly closing out the inning. Books, however, lost the ball in the shadows as it dropped right off his glove.
With Donati and Gozdan both in scoring position, Michak singled to the shortstop, who threw home on the play. As the ball fell out of Irigoyen’s glove, Gozdan celebrated as West Chester plated their 10th run of the game against the back-to-back champions.
West Chester did not stop at 10 runs, however. Rust walked to lead off the top of the ninth inning, advancing to second on a bunt from Strawhecker.
With a base open, Tampa intentionally walked Middlebrooks to establish the double play. Rust then attempted to steal third, getting thrown out on the play for the second out of the inning. Stalker, who was intentionally walked in the eighth, then slapped his 13th home run of the season to give West Chester a 12-4 lead over Tampa.
The last time Tampa allowed 12 or more runs in a contest was on May 16, 2025, in a 13-5 loss to Mississippi College in the NCAA South Regional. West Chester managed to do so on just 12 hits, recording ten walks as a team on the day.
Lazer pitches the complete game
Having allowed four runs (one earned) on the day, Kyle Lazer was sent back out to fight for the complete game in the bottom of the ninth. Lazer allowed two baserunners on a walk and a single up the middle while recording the first two outs on a strikeout and a fly-out.
“I said to our coaches last night in our coaches meeting,” LaRosa described, ”we're running through scenarios and pitchers and everything. I said, it doesn't matter. Lazer's going nine innings tomorrow. And sure enough, here we are.”
On a full-count to the Tampa three-hole, Lazer struck out Irigoyen to send West Chester to Game Three. Lazer finished his third complete game of the season, needing 130 pitches to do so. He allowed six hits and five walks while striking out 10 batters.
“Lazer was just outstanding for them,” said Tampa head coach Joe Urso after the game. “He attacked the zone. He had his off-speed going, kept our hitters off balance, and just dominated the game for them.”
The win was Lazer’s ninth of the year as his season ERA dropped to 3.22.
Speaking to the media after the game, Lazer attributed his performance to people surrounding him in the dugout and in the stands watching, including some alumni of the 2022 team that last reached the National Championship.
“You'll never meet a group of guys that are as close as us, friends on and off the field, and just going out there,” Lazer described. “It wasn't for me. It was for the fans. It was for the guys on our team. We're not done yet. We worked too hard during the spring, early spring. I mean, when the weather today was 90 degrees, we were out there playing games in 28 degrees, 30 degrees. And it's just the least I can do is go out and give everything that I have for, I mean, not only our teammates too, but that 2022 team. Because I know they're all watching.”
Game Three versus Goliath
With the victory, the Golden Rams force an all-or-nothing Game Three for the National Championship crown. The Golden Rams will try to keep the Spartans from becoming the first program to win three straight NCAA Division II baseball crowns, winning their program’s third in the process.
“We have everyone ready to go,” Lazer said on Game Three. “Game three’s are weird. Let's make it weird.”
Game Three of the best-of-three series is scheduled to begin at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday and can be viewed on NCAA.com.
