Box Score
HARROGATE, Tenn. – Matt Cotellese was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two stolen bases and Blair Dameron had two RBIs to lead visiting West Chester to a 5-2 victory over host Lincoln Memorial University Sunday afternoon in game three of a season-opening three-game series on the baseball diamond at Hennon Field.
Dameron put the Golden Rams (2-1) on top in the first inning with a two-run double that scored Nick Spisak and Cotellese, who each reached after being hit by a pitch.
Lincoln Memorial (6-4) cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the third, but West Chester restored its two-run lead in the fourth when Bob Stumpo doubled and moved to third on a single by Kyle Orensky. Stumpo would later score on a fielder’s choice by Joe Wendle.
LMU drew within one again in the bottom of the fifth. However, the Golden Rams tacked on insurance tallies in the eighth and ninth while WCU reliever Connor Kerins quieted the Railsplitters’ bats.
Kerins came on for starter David Slusser (1-0) in the sixth and pitched the final four innings without yielding a run, allowing just one hit and walking one. He struck out two, recording his first save for West Chester.
Slusser scattered three hits over the first five innings, allowing just two unearned runs to cross the plate. He struck out one and didn’t walk anybody.
Sean Woolard (1-2) suffered the loss for the Railsplitters. He allowed nine hits over 7.1 innings along with four runs, only three of which were earned. He struck out two and did not walk a batter. Josh Strawn finished up, allowing one unearned run.
West Chester opens its home slate on Sunday, Feb. 22 with one game against Wilmington (Del.) at Serpico Stadium at 12 p.m.
