CRESSON, Pa. – Facing elimination and enduring a near two-hour rain delay, La Roche baseball battled every element to continue its AMCC Championship Round run, clinching its spot in the AMCC Championship Game with a 13-6 victory over #4 Alfred State.

The Redhawks jumped ahead in the top of the second inning, as a Pioneer error crossed Brandon Snyder to make it 1-0.

In the top of the third, Josh Dreyer belted a solo shot to move the score to 2-0, then after a quiet fourth inning, Rick Heyz scored on an Alfred State error in the fifth, then Dreyer picked up his second RBI two batters later, with a sacrifice fly that plated Tanner Schmitt as the score now read 4-0.

The Pioneers countered in the bottom half of the fifth, as a two RBI single, another RBI single and an RBI ground out tied the game 4-4.

At the conclusion of the fifth, the teams were pulled from the field as the game went into a near two-hour rain delay.

When the teams returned to field in the sixth, Dom Brncic and Schmitt brought home Casey Jones and Christian Melendez with an RBI fielder's choice and a RBI hit by pitch to regain the lead at 6-4.

Alfred State would have one final response in the bottom of the sixth, driving home a pair of runs to make the score even at 6-6.

From that point on, it was all red and black, first by scoring three in the top of the seventh to build a 9-6 lead as Brncic drew an RBI hit by pitch, Heyz drawing a bases loaded walk and a Schmitt RBI single.

La Roche added extra insurance in the top of the eight, as one run crossed after another Pioneer error, Brncic, whose RBI single scored Jones and was punctuated with Schmitt's two RBI single, scoring Brncic and Melendez to make it the final of 13-6.

Chris Tarquinio got the start and across 4.1 innings allowed four runs (two earned), three hits and walked three.

Cameron Mauk tossed one inning of relief and allowed two runs (one earned), two hits and one walk.

Reed Bursic picked up the victory, as he allowed just one hit, two walks and fanned two in 3.2 innings of work.

Offensively, the Redhawks once again picked up 16 hits, as Schmitt and Heyz each went 3-for-4 at the dish. Larry Bielawski, Dimitri Gary and Brandon Snyder all had two hits as well.

La Roche is two wins away from an AMCC Championship and to do so must defeat #2 seed Penn State Behrend. Tomorrow's matchup is slated for 11 a.m. and should the Redhawks prevail, a second game will take place after.