PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia University baseball team scored seven runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to overcome a two-run deficit and knock off No. 20 Wilmington (Del.), 11-6, in the championship game of the Bill Giles Invitational Tuesday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park.

It is the Rams' (15-22-1) third Bill Giles Invitational championship, and the first since 2002.

Philadelphia went into the eighth facing a 6-4 deficit, and wasted no time putting together a rally as the first three hitters of the inning reached base. Junior catcher TJ Burgmann (Philadelphia, Pa./La Salle College HS) pulled the Rams within one with a sacrifice fly to plate junior center fielder Rick Reigner (Havertown, Pa./Monsignor Bonner), who walked to start the inning. Junior first baseman Jordan Force (East Greenville, Pa./Upper Perkiomen) followed up with a single to right to bring in sophomore right fielder Ken McCormick (Yardley, Pa./Pennsbury) and tie the game at six.

After a walk by junior second baseman John Sczepanski (Lafayette Hill, Pa./La Salle College HS) reloaded the bases, junior pinch hitter Chris Pelaez (Miami, Fla/Miami-Sunset) ripped a double, on the first pitch he saw, to left center that scored senior designated hitter Jeff Bohus (Cherry Hill, N.J./Cherry Hill E.) and Force to put Philadelphia in front, 8-6.

The Rams added three more runs on RBI singles by junior left fielder Shane Yoshiyama (Honolulu, Hawaii/Punahou School) and McCormick, and a fielder's choice off the bat of sophomore shortstop Hunter Greenwood (Salisbury, Md./James M. Bennett).

Junior pitcher Stephen Uhlak (Ocean Gate, N.J./Central Reg.) hurled a scoreless ninth to secure the victory for junior reliever Rob Spragis (Chalfont, Pa./C.B. South) who came on in the seventh and threw two perfect innings.

Tyler Fries was the losing pitcher.

Force finished the game with three of Philadelphia's 10 hits. Yoshiyama went 2-for-5 with three RBIs, while McCormick was 2-for-5 .

Seven different players had one hit each for Wilmington (27-12).

Philadelphia jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second on a two-run single by Yoshiyama and a RBI single by Greenwood.

After trading single runs in the fourth, the Wildcats closed to gap to 4-3 an inning later on a throwing error and a Jon Castro double. Wilmington took the lead with a three-run sixth, which included a two-run home run to right by Brandon Payne.

Philadelphia returns home to take on USciences in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference game on Thursday, April 18 at 3:30 p.m.