What started as a slow start, quickly transformed into an insurmountable lead and finally ended with the Lancaster Bible College baseball team being upset by the fourth-seeded Defenders from Baptist Bible College, 12-6.

LBC never looked comfortable and swung at far too many first pitches and thus did not win the NCCAA East Region for the first time since 2008. Philadelphia Biblical University, the tournament's third seed, defeated Baptist Bible, 7-6 to win the East Region title.

The Defenders opened the scoring in the top of the first when Dustin Hilgar singled in Jon Canazon. The Chargers responded quickly, scoring twice in the bottom half of the first. After BJ Boosz walked, Frank DiFilippo doubled, scoring Boosz from first. DiFilippo advanced to third on a groundout by Kody Godsey and scored one pitch later on a passed ball to make it 2-1.

BBC (4-15) answered right back, scoring two runs of their own in the top of the second. Using two hits and the first of five LBC errors, the Defenders took a 3-2 lead into the top of the third inning. Already leading 5-2, Randy Vincent singled with the bases loaded to stretch the lead to 7-2. Two runs later signaled the end of the day for LBC starter Patrick Hart. Richard Westerlund relieved him and got Canazon to ground out.

The Chargers got two hits in the bottom of the third, but Boosz was caught stealing second and Micah McClay was left on base.

The score stayed the same until the bottom of the fifth when LBC pushed three more runs arcoss the plate. John Smith IV led off the inning with a double and scored a batter later when Boosz singled him home. DiFilippo doubled again, moving Boosz to third. With runners at second and third, Godsey grounded out, scoring Boosz. DiFilippo scored a batter later when McClay's grounder found its way through the BBC third baseman, Vincent.

LBC added one more run in the bottom of the sixth, but even though they scored, the inning could have been so much more. After Josh Chamberlin reached on an error, Drew Tilley came to the plate for the first time in over a month due to injury and doubled to right field. Chamberlin scored and Tilley advanced to third on the throw home.

With a runner on third and no one out, the Chargers' bats went cold. Smith struck out, Sean Westerlund lined out and Boosz flew out to center, ending the threat.

BBC made LBC (11-13) pay in the top of the seventh, scoring three more runs, ending any hope of an LBC comeback.

"We just didn't come out with the same fire they did," Chargers' slugger DiFilippo said. "We have talked all season about winning the East Region being one of our goals, but for some reason, they wanted to win more than us today."

While they won't go to the NCCAA National Tournament, DiFilippo said there are still things the team wants to accomplish.

"We want to finish above .500," DiFilippo said. "We have one week to do that and hopefully that is something we can do."

LBC is scheduled to play this Saturday against St. Joseph's [Brooklyn] at 12 p.m., but the forcast may not agree. If the Chargers do not play those games, they will finish the season late next week when they face Mount Aloysius on Friday in Cresson, Pa. and host Drew on Saturday. Saturday's doubleheader against Drew is also Senior Day.

Notes:
-In five East Region games this season, DiFilippo went 11-for-16 with 11 RBI and eight runs scored.

-The top two seeds, LBC and Valley Forge Christian, both lost in the semi-finals.



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