Box Score
WEST LAWN, Pa. - Matt Baer hit a two-run home run and Dave Stieg pitched a complete game to lead the 15th-ranked West Chester Golden Rams to a 7-2 victory over California (Pa.) in the 2010 NCAA Atlantic Regional semifinal Saturday night at Owls Field at Ted Palka Park.
The win advances West Chester to the championship game of the regional tournament for the fifth straight year to play Kutztown, who will have to beat West Chester twice on Sunday.
West Chester (39-12) scored three runs in the second and two in the sixth to open a 5-0 lead. Stieg (6-2) meanwhile was tossing a two-hit shutout over that span, quieting Cal's bats. The Vulcans were eliminated with the loss on Saturday.
Bob Stumpo put the Golden Rams on top early with an RBI double in the first. Josh Heyne followed up with a two-run single later in the frame. In the sixth, Kyle Orensky hit a leadoff double down the left field line, and Baer followed with his 12th home run of the season. Charlie Kelly hit a RBI single in the eighth, and Joe Wendle hit a RBI groundout after Kevin McGrath tripled to leadoff the ninth for West Chester's other two runs.
Cal had cut the deficit to 5-2 in the seventh. However, the Golden Rams added those insurance tallies to put the game away.
Stieg allowed two runs on six hits, walked one and struck out four. Nick Schreiber (6-4) suffered the loss for Cal. He started and lasted six innings. He allowed five runs, walked four and struck out one. Ryan Lavrusky finished up, yielding six hits and two runs while striking out one.
West Chester takes on Kutztown Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. for the Atlantic Region championship. The Golden Rams have not lost in the double-elimination tournament, forcing the Golden Bears to beat West Chester twice if they are to wrestle the regional title away from the Rams.
