BECKLEY, W.Va- The University of Charleston Golden Eagle Baseball team is back on top of the Mountain East Conference after defeating the Glenville State Pioneers in the championship on Sunday. Charleston dropped the first game 5-4 but then came back to win the winner takes all game 13-5.
 
Game One
Charleston was in a dogfight with the Pioneers of Glenville State for 9 straight innings in game one. The Golden Eagles did score the first two runs of the game in the second and fourth innings as the game was delayed for 45 minutes in the second inning due to rain.
 
Pete Costigan plated the first Golden Eagle run in the bottom of the second after depositing a home run over the left centerfield wall. It would be his second home run of the season and his sixth hit of the tournament. Drew Klaserner would come around to score in the fourth thanks to an RBI groundout by Giano Zuccaro to bring the score to 2-0.
 
The Pioneers would be held scoreless until the sixth inning, when they added two runs on an RBI single by Calen Kampes. Those runs were allowed after starting pitcher Drew Beckner loaded the bases with just one away and was replaced by Robby Shepherd
 
Charleston responded well in the bottom half of the sixth thanks to All-Tournament selection Pete Costigan's sacrifice bunt that scored Brayden McCallister from third.
 
The next inning, the Pioneers refused to go away and tallied two runs in the seventh. The first came from a single to centerfield by Zach Morris. He would later come around to score the second run of the inning which gave the Pioneers the lead on a rare balk call from reliever Cole Peschl.
 
The score would remain 4-3 into the eighth inning before Klaserner, who was also named to the all-tournament team, smoked a game tying double to right. He would be stranded at second base and Charleston headed into the 9^th knotted at 4.
 
The Pioneers pushed across one run in the top of the 9^th and it would prove to be the game winner. UC was able to get two runners on base with just one away in the bottom half of the inning, but the Pioneers rolled a double play to end game one.
 
Drew Beckner made his first collegiate postseason appearance and did exceptionally well. The freshman chucked 5.1 innings, allowed two earned runs on four hits while walking two. Robby Shepherd came in to relieve Beckner in the 6^th with the bases loaded but couldn't get out of the 1-out jam and two of the inherited runners came around to score. Cole Peschl was credited with the loss after tossing 2.1 innings and striking out two but allowing the go ahead run to score in the 9^th.
 
Game Two
 
There was no shortage of excitement in the winner take all Championship game as Charleston would go on to win 13-5 after riding a 7-run third inning.
 
The Golden Eagle hitters looked to be pressing a bit early in game two as they were held scoreless through the first two innings. The Pioneers would supply the first two runs of the contest in the 2^nd inning on a fielder's choice and an RBI single by Colby Werry.
 
Charleston responded in a big way in the top of the 3^rd inning as they exploded for seven runs on six hits in the frame. The party got started with two walks by Andre Martinez and Jordan Bailey. Tyler Dellerman loaded the bases with a bunt and was followed by a Boddorf double that tied the game at two. Eric Chartier singled home Dellerman and was followed by Brayden McCallister who scored Boddorf from third on a sacrifice bunt.
 
A rain delay would cut the rally for a brief amount of time but Charleston hopped right back on the horse after play resumed. Jordan Bailey completed the 7-run inning with a double into right field that scored two runs.
 
The high powered offense shone through once again in the tournament as UC would go on to add 3 more runs in the top of the 5^th and 6^th innings. Dellerman, an all-tournament selection,  blasted his team leading 12^th home run of the season in the fifth, a two run shot that ran the score to 10-2. Costigan parked his second home run of the day in the sixth, another two run shot to almost the exact same spot as his blast in game one.
 
Colt Webb had one of the single greatest performances in MEC tournament history on Sunday afternoon. Webb, a redshirt senior from Newport, NC started three games in a single week beginning last weekend against West Virginia State. In that game he threw over 100 pitches and turned in 7 innings. He proceeded to come back on Thursday on just three days of rest and throw a complete game shutout against Notre Dame. In that outing he fanned six while throwing 99 pitches. On Sunday, with just two days of rest, he came out and put on an unbelievably gutsy performance as he worked 6.0 innings, allowed just 4 runs and struck out 9. It will go down in the MEC record books as one of, if not the most incredible performances by a pitcher of all time. To do what Webb did in a single week is almost unheard of at any level of baseball and to do it in the most important games of the year is remarkable. For his efforts, Webb was named MEC Tournament MVP.
 
Ethan Soderna was outstanding as well. He came on in relief of Webb after pitching just two days prior. Against Fairmont State on Friday, Soderna threw 125 pitches over 7.0 innings while striking out seven. On Sunday, he turned in 3.0 innings of relief work and closed slamed the door on the championship game. He allowed just three hits, one earned run and struck out four in the performance while throwing just under 40 pitches.
 
The entire team pieced together one of the most dominant runs in MEC Tournament history. They scored a total of 53 runs, had 63 hits, shut out one team and allowed just 2.8 runs per game in the run. Pitching was absolutely incredible with every starting pitcher going at least 5.0 innings and 3 pitchers (Webb, MacNeil, Soderna) going 7 plus innings in outings. The offense was off the charts as well, they totaled 20 extra base hits on the weekend, including three home runs. They averaged 10.6 runs per game and hit at least two doubles in every single contest.
 
Charleston named four players to the all-tournament team, Pete Costigan, Drew Klaserner, Tyler Dellerman, and of course the MVP Colt Webb.
 
Costigan was 9-19 with two doubles, two home runs, 10 RBI, eight runs scored, one walk, two stolen bases and he struck out just one time in the entire tournament. Klaserner was 8-14 with four doubles, eight RBI, six walks, and five stolen bases. Dellerman was 7-21 with four RBI, one double, a home run, and three walks. In addition he caught every single inning behind the dish for the Golden Eagles in the tournament. Webb ended the weekend with 13.0 innings pitched, 15 strikeouts, 15 hits allowed, one walk, and four earned runs allowed.
 
Up next the Golden Eagles will play in the NCAA DII Atlantic Regional against Millersville University at Cooper Park in Millersville, PA.