Steamers Win 2023 Premier Collegiate League Championship, Outlast River Bandits in Deciding Game Three
Edenton, NC – The Edenton Steamers are PCL Champions for the second consecutive season. The Steamers defeated the Tarboro River Bandits, 10-6 on Saturday night to win the 2023 PCL championship and return the Harry Postove Cup to Edenton. The Clams’ offense took charge in the early innings while Ben Bausas turned in a quality start to secure the 6th championship in franchise history.
The Steamers’ offense set the tone in the bottom of the first inning against River Bandits starter Ryan Neilson. The teal and black scored four runs on four walks and two base hits to take an early 4-0 lead.
Jackson Ellyson scored a wild pitch to score the first run of the inning. Nate Paulsen followed with a bases-loaded walk to put the Clams up 2-0. Two more scored on a sacrifice fly and an RBI single by Ty Johnson.
The Steamers scored at least four runs in an inning for just the second time during the playoffs and the first since game one of the semifinals vs Greenbrier.
In the second inning, the Clams kept rolling at the plate. Luke Myers started off the inning with a single for the top of the order. After a lineout, the heart of the order put together three straight singles including an RBI infield hit by Ty Garza to put the Clams up 5-0.
One inning later, the power arrived to the Steamers hit parade. Drifton Padgett led off the third inning with a solo home run to give the Steamers a 6-0 lead. The home run was one of Padgett’s two hits, four RBIs, and two runs scored on the night.
In addition, Padgett now has two home runs against the River Bandits this season.
After the game, Padgett said the team “never wants to lose to Tarboro.”
“They are probably our biggest rival of the year,” Padgett said. “Hitting two home runs against them [Tarboro] this year is great.”
That “never lose” mentality continued in the fourth inning as the Clams kept the pressure on. Padgett came through again with runners in scoring position. With the bases loaded, the centerfielder from Rocky Mount grounded into a fielder’s choice to plate Gabe Kirck to give the Steamers a 7-1 lead.
Two innings later, Drifton Padgett continued his unstoppable night at the dish.
After a double by Ty Garza and a walk by Nate Paulsen, Padgett hit an RBI single to right field to secure his fourth RBI of the game, one in every at-bat. The Steamers plated two more runs in the frame on a walk by Tyler Overaitis and a wild pitch that brought in Padgett to make the game 10-1.
The Steamers’ 10 runs vs the River Bandits was the first double-digit run performance for the Clams since the final day of the regular season when the teal and black beat the Greenbrier Knights 11-7.
On the mound, Ben Bausas capped off a brilliant season on the hill with a strong outing in the biggest game of the season. Bausas cruised through the first three innings with under 30 pitches thrown and no runs across.
In the fourth inning, Tarboro got on the scoreboard with a run on a stretch of three singles by Armani Newton, Max Bernal, and Preston Shelton (who drove in Newton).
Bausas finished the game with seven innings, two runs allowed on eight hits, with two walks and four punchouts. It was the third time this season the versatile arm from Chowan University went at least seven innings and allowed two runs or fewer.
In a 10-2 ballgame in the eighth inning, Steamers head coach Justin Hill turned to the longest-tenured Clam to get the job done.
Tyrus Baumgardner played for the 2021 Steamers who lost to eventual champion River Bandits in the second round. Last season Baumgardner was on the Clams squad that took down the River Bandits to secure the 2022 PCL Championship.
Baumgardner faced some trouble out of the pen as Tarboro mounted a rally against the Kenova, WV native. The first four River Bandits reached against the right-handed on a walk and three singles. Baumgardner surrendered three runs in the inning to bring the score to 10-6.
In the top of the ninth inning, Baumgardner had to battle again on the hill. With one out, Tarboro put together three straight singles to load the bases. Baumgardner closed the door with a sacrifice fly from Newton and line out from Jonny Wall to the man of the night Drifton Padgett.
The Steamers have now won back-to-back championships for the first time since 2004-05 when the Clams won the Coastal Plain League under head coach Joel Tremblay and David Scoggin.
Steamers first baseman Gabe Kirck was named the 2023 Harry Postove Memorial Tournament Most Valuable Player. In six playoff games, Kirck batted .409 with a team-leading nine hits, two doubles, two home runs, and 10 runs batted.
The Clams will return to the Albemarle Sound for the rest of 2023 resurfacing in June 2024 to start the quest for the ball clubs first-ever three-peat.