PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - - Senior Brandon Payne hit a two run shot into the stands in right field to give the Wilmington University baseball team the lead, but give up seven runs in the eighth inning to fall to Philadelphia, 11-6, in the championship of the Bill Giles Invitational at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday.

Battling back all afternoon, the No. 20 Wildcats (27-12 overall) finally took a 6-4 lead with a three run sixth inning, aided by Payne's two run home run which gave them the lead. But the Rams (15-22-1) came back and tallied seven runs on six hits in the bottom of the eight to capture their first Bill Giles Invitational since 2002.

Down 3-0 after the second inning, the Wildcats got a run back in the fourth as Jonathan Rodriguez doubled into the gap in left center, scoring Josh Hampton from second for the Wildcats' first run.

After Philadelphia earned the run back with a sacrifice fly in the bottom half of the fourth, the Wildcats cut deeper into the lead with a two run fifth inning. With two outs and a runner on first base, Jon Castro doubled to left, scoring Frank Samluk from second for the inning's first run. Hampton than beat out a chopper to third base with the errant throw getting away from the Rams, allowing Castro to come home to close the deficit to 4-3.

Peter Monahan threw a clean fifth inning, getting a strike out, a ground out, and a pop up to get the bats back up to the plate.

Sam Goines started the comeback with a one out single through the left side and then Payne deposited a 1-0 pitch into the fifth row in right field, giving the Wildcats the lead at 5-4. Joe Marciano walked and promptly stole second and third and eventually scored as Samluk gave the Wildcats a 6-4 lead with a single inside the third base bag.

But that would be all the run support the Wildcat pitching staff would accumulate, as the offense was held without a hit in the final three innings of play.

The Rams made the comeback in the eighth inning off reliever Tyler Fries, as Philadelphia loaded the bases without recording an out. The Wildcats traded a run for an out on a sacrifice fly, but the Rams capitalized on the opportunity and singled in the tying run in the next at-bat. After a walk reloaded the bases, Philadelphia took the lead for the final time off Nick Marics' first pitch, a two-run double into left center.

A single off the glove of Marics scored another run before it looked like the Wildcats were going to get out of the inning with a double play. The throw from Samluk at second was on line, but a hair late as the Rams kept the inning alive with another RBI. The Rams added two more singles and another run before finally retiring with seven runs on six hits.

Payne led the Wildcats with the two RBI's while Castro, Rodriguez and Samluk accounted for the other three. Seven separate Wildcats collected one hit for the game.

Wilmington will look to end its three-game losing streak on Thursday when it squares off against Kutztown in a nonconference game at Wilson Field. The single game is scheduled to begin at 3:00 p.m.