MASON, Ohio - After knocking off the top seed Tiffin on Wednesday (May 11), the Walsh Cavaliers baseball team set their sights on the defending Great Midwest champion Trevecca Nazarene Trojans on Thursday (May 12). 

Walsh advanced to the semifinals with a 5-2 win to eliminate the current three seed and the College World Series qualifiers from a year ago. 

Trevecca Nazarene struck first in the second inning with a RBI double for a 1-0 lead.

Walsh answered back and took advantage of some miscues to get on the board in the third inning. Shea Simmer singled and moved to second on a wild pitch before Brady Maciak singled. A wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position. On a groundball back to the mound from Jarret Lyon, the Trevecca pitcher airmailed the throw to first base and both runners crossed the plate for a 2-1 lead. 

The Trojans tied the game on a RBI triple in the fourth inning. 

The game remained 2-2 until the seventh inning when Walsh gained the lead. Joey Holiga reached on an one-out error and moved to second base when the ball went out of play. A Lyon single put runners on the corners with one out. A fielder's choice from Jacob Beachy pushed Holiga in and Walsh led 3-2 at the seventh inning stretch. 

In the eighth inning, Ben Lefebvre singled on a bunt. A sacrifice bunt placed him at second base and scored on a RBI single by Simmer. 

One inning later, Walsh added an important insurance run. Beachy singled and advanced to second on a passed ball. One batter later, Cam Kaiser singled to left field with Beachy scoring. 

Trevecca singled twice in the ninth but the Cavaliers closed out the game with a strikeout. 

Walsh had nine hits on the day with Simmer and Maciak each having two hits at the top of the order. 

Drew Saunier grinded through 4.2 innings with two runs allowed on seven hits. He struck out two before giving the ball to Nick Lallathin. The left-hander scattered three hits over 4.1 innings with six punchouts. 

Walsh will face Kentucky Wesleyan in the semifinal on Friday (May 13) at 12:00 PM on the main field at Prasco Park.

-WC-