Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. – East Stroudsburg scored two runs in its final at bat to come from behind and steal game one, 4-3, but West Chester rebounded with a 6-4 victory in the nightcap of its PSAC East baseball doubleheader amidst falling temperatures.
West Chester (15-8, 5-1 PSAC East) scored three times in the top of the fifth inning to erase a 2-0 deficit in game one and carried that lead into the final inning of play, before East Stroudsburg (15-12, 1-5) rallied for the win. The Rams retaliated with a come-from-behind victory of their own in the second tilt.
The Warriors jumped out in front early with a three-run first. However, West Chester scored a pair of runs in each of the third, fourth and fifth innings to take a 6-3 lead. ESU got one back in the sixth, but never got an closer.
Matt Cotellese was hit by a pitch in the third, and Blair Dameron tripled him home before scoring himself on a wild pitch to draw the Rams to within one.
In the fourth, Charlie Kelly singled and went to second on an errant pick off attempt by the pitcher and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Kevin McGrath walked and stole second. Nick Spisake then singled in Kelly and Cotellese reached on an error by the third baseman that allowed McGrath to score.
Kelly knocked home Kyle Orensky with an infield single, and McGrath had an RBI groundout in the sixth.
Connor Kerins (3-1) started and pitched the first six innings to pick up his second league win in as many starts. He allowed four runs on eight hits, struck out four and did not walk a batter. Eric Carmichael came on in the seventh for his third save of the season.
Tom Admire (3-2) started for ESU and lasted 3.2 innings, giving up four runs on seven hits. He struck out two and walked one.
In the opener, Bob Stumpo walked with one out to get things going for the Golden Rams in the fifth. Josh Heyne hit an infield single and McGrath was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Spisak then hit a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Stumpo, and Cotellese followed with a two-run double that plated Heyne and McGrath. Cotellese moved up on a throwing error, but the Rams stranded him at third.
ESU’s John Pisker led off the bottom half of the seventh for the hosts with a single, and Carey Zimmerman was called on to pinch run for him. Brendan O’Connor reached on a fielder’s choice as he sacrificed Zimmerman over to second, and West Chester’s starting pitcher Jason Bowman (1-3) threw a wild pitch that moved Zimmerman to third. Ryan Guarino grounded out to short, scoring Zimmerman, advancing O’Connor to second and tying the game.
Evan Gallagher than hit into a fielder’s choice West Chester tried to gun down O’Connor at the plate on the infield grounder, but the threw was too late.
Mark Angelo hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth that had originally given East Stroudsburg a 2-0 lead.
Bowman suffered the loss, going the distance and allowing four earned runs on five hits in 6.1 innings of work. He struck out seven and did not walk a batter. He has walked just two people in nearly 30 innings on the season while striking out 27.
Jeremy Gigliotti started for the Warriors and pitched six innings, giving up three earned runs on five hits. He walked three and struck out four. Christian Saveri (2-2) came on and pitched the seventh. His teammates made a winner out of him with their late heroics.
Cotellese finished game one 1-for-4 with two RBI, and Joe Wendle was 2-for-3 at the plate.
West Chester and East Stroudsburg complete their four-game weekend series with a doubleheader at Serpico Stadium on Saturday. Game one is slated for a 1 p.m. start.
