Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – West Chester hung on in game two to sweep a doubleheader from Saginaw Valley State at the Russmatt Central Florida Invitational Saturday afternoon. The Golden Rams cruised to a 16-1 win in the opener, before hanging on for a 5-4 decision in the nightcap.
West Chester (5-5) finally broke out of its hitting slump in the opener, and put together a pair of impressive pitching performances to outlast Saginaw Valley State (4-7).
However, it was a splendid defensive effort in the bottom of the seventh that helped deliver the win. Saginaw Valley State cleanup hitter Drew Woock doubled to right field with one out and a runner on first base. However, West Chester’s Jack Provine tracked down the ball and threw it in to Justin Lamborn, who relayed the throw home to catcher Reid Pulford to cut down Matt Hunt at the plate.
Provine had been inserted into the game right before that at bat when West Chester head coach Mark Jackson replaced pitcher John Barr with right fielder Kristian von Kiel. Brandon Schwanz then grounded out harmlessly to second base with the tying run at third to end the game. Von Kiel picked up his first save of the season.
“I think (Woock) kinda forced (Hunt) to go home because he had already made the turn at second and was headed to third,” Jackson said. “(SVSU) may have been trying to be a little too aggressive there because (Hunt) was out by a lot.
“But, it takes two good throws to get him at the plate, and Provine and Lamborn did a nice job for us there.”
Starter Jordan Lehman (1-1) threw six strong innings, allowing two runs on seven hits and striking out seven, to get the win. Barr came on in the bottom of the seventh with a 5-2 lead. But, Saginaw Valley State pushed two across on an RBI double and a single through the left side.
Von Kiel also went 1-for-3 at the plate with his first home run of the season. It was one of three homers hit on the day. Both Chris Pula and Mike Raimo went yard in West Chester’s 16-1 rout in game one.
Lefty Matt Zielinski (1-0) threw six solid innings in that contest. He allowed one run on four hits and struck out six. But, more impressively, he did not walk a batter. Zak Wetzel pitched the seventh and struck out one.
Von Kiel’s home run with one out in the fifth inning tied the game at 2-2 and sparked a four-run frame that put West Chester in front, 5-2. Wendle followed up with a two-run double
Pula went 3-for-3 in the opener with four RBI, including his leadoff home run in the third. Raimo was 2-for-3 with a two-run shot in the fourth. West Chester scored a run in each inning, opening a 6-0 advantage by the end of the third.
Wendle went 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI in the nightcap for West Chester.
West Chester concludes its southern trip Sunday morning with a game against Kentucky Wesleyan at 9:30 a.m.
