In an MVP performance, Matthew Lawlor secured the 2022 CUNY Athletic Conference Baseball Championship for the Baruch College Bearcats over the City College Beavers after pitching a complete game and striking out a career-high 10 batters.

It’s Baruch’s second consecutive title and the fourth under head coach Jose Torres.

Both offenses got on the scoreboard in the first inning with City College having the lead until the third when Baruch’s bats mustered five straight hits to score two runs.

The Bearcats took control of the game in the seventh inning after City College pulled starter Matthew Kue for Brandon Paider. With the aid of two City College errors, the team batted around and widened their lead to nine.

Brian Hwang had the most hits in the game, going four for six with two RBIs. Pedro Tejada led the game in RBIs with three, while Luke Lombardi led in walks with three.

City College added several runs in the closing innings to close the lead and were poised for a comeback with the bases loaded in the ninth with one out, but Lombardi and the Bearcats won, 14-7.

This game was originally scheduled to be played as the second of a doubleheader, but was postponed due to weather.

The Beavers were on their way to capture the opening game of the series before a thrilling final two innings where 17 runs were scored on two hits. Baruch ultimately prevailed, winning 14-13.

In the bottom of the eighth, City College pitcher Ja Rodriguez entered the game with a two-run lead, but struggled to find the strike zone, walking five batters and hitting two.

After Rodriguez allowed the tying run to score and secured only one out, Murra Schott entered the game in relief and got an out before having his own struggles, allowing three more runs to score on walks and a wild pitch.

With their third lead of the game, Lombardi entered the game in the ninth to try securing the opener for Baruch. Similar to the City College pitchers, he could not find the zone, hitting and walking batters to load up the bases.

City College took the lead once again after the shortstop mishandled the ball, allowing two runners to score.

After Lombardi secured the second out, a throwing error by first baseman Hwang gave City College a three-run lead.

Entering the inning with another multi-run lead, Shott’s issues continued, getting only an out. He allowed four Bearcats to score, including Hwang, who reached home plate on a walk to Steven Patterson.

Lombardi, the winning pitcher, allowed two hits, walked three and surrendered six runs in a frame.

City College reached their first baseball championship finals since 2007 after beating the John Jay College Bloodhounds, 8-4. It was their first postseason win since 2015.

Earlier in the week, the team faced the Lehman College Lightning in the first round of the tournament. Lawlor dished out another gem, pitching a complete game, striking out six and allowing only two runs and four hits.

The offense had two big innings to blow the game open and won, 11-2.

Patterson went two for four, including a triple, and had two RBIs. Pedro Tejada led the game in walks with three.

By winning the conference title, Baruch will move on to the NCAA 2022 Division III Baseball Championships.

They will also await a potential berth to the Eastern College Athletic Conference tournament.