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WEST CHESTER, Pa. – Jack Provine went 5-for-8 with three runs scored, and Joe Wendle collected three hits, including a two-run home run in game one, as host No. 8 West Chester University swept a PSAC East doubleheader from visiting East Stroudsburg on a sun-splashed Friday afternoon at Serpico Stadium by scores of 7-3 and 9-5.
West Chester (20-1, 6-0 PSAC East) remains unbeaten in conference play with the two wins while East Stroudsburg (18-9, 3-3) dropped its first league doubleheader of the year.
Sophomore right-hander Joe Gunkel (3-0) was the beneficiary of six unearned runs in the opener as the Warriors committed three costly errors in the field that allowed the Golden Rams to plate four unearned runs in the first inning and two more unearned tallies during a three-run third that put the home team in front 7-2. Gunkel went the distance, scattering seven hits, walking four and striking out four. Brian Ernst (4-1) suffered his first loss of the season on the mound for ESU. He allowed seven runs on seven hits, walking one and striking out three.
Run-scoring singles by both Justin Lamborn and Jordan Wlodarczyk in the first plated a pair of runs. Matt Baer then followed with a two-run double to finish out the scoring and give West Chester an early lead. After ESU put up two runs in the second, Lamborn doubled home a run in the bottom half of the third, and Reid Pulford singled home a run. The Rams’ other tally scored on an error by the Warriors’ second baseman.
East Stroudsburg scratched out one more run in the sixth on a home run by Chris Knott, but it was not enough as Gunkel had settled in by retiring nine of the game’s final 11 batters. Only Knott and Eric Boyer reached base for ESU after the fourth inning.
Three unearned runs in the sixth for West Chester opened up a one-run ballgame as the Golden Rams completed the sweep of East Stroudsburg. Josh Heyne delivered a two-run single in the sixth, landing the crushing blow to the Warriors’ comeback bid.
West Chester tallied a single run in the second, third and fourth, after its three-run first gave the hosts the lead. East Stroudsburg pushed across a pair of runs in the top of the first and again in the third, but never led after WCU scored three in the bottom of the first.
Joe Wendle hit a two-run homer, his eighth of the season, in the first inning to give the hosts a 3-2 lead. Mike Raimo had led off with a double over the center fielder’s head, moved up to third on a wild pitch and was awarded home plate on a balk. Provine followed with a single to center, and Wendle then deposited an offering from ESU starter Keenan Stare into the woods beyond the right field fence.
Wendle doubled the lead in the second with a RBI single thru the right side that plated Raimo. The No. 3 hitter in West Chester’s order was intentionally walked his third time to the plate and then walked again his final time up as East Stroudsburg pitched around him. He eventually came around to score one of the three unearned runs in the decisive sixth.
Heyne finished game two 2-for-4 with three RBI. Provine was 4-for-4 with three singles and his 13th double of the year. Raimo scored three times in the nightcap.
Fred Breidenbach (4-0) went five innings on the hill for the Golden Rams. He allowed five runs, four of them earned, on seven hits, walked one and struck out two. Side-armer Kyle Weary came on and threw the final two frames for his first save of the year.
Stare (5-3) lasted three innings, surrendering six runs on seven hits. Colin Kelly came on in relief and threw two innings, while Colin Taylor and Ryan Beck finished up in the sixth.
West Chester and East Stroudsburg will finish up their four-game weekend league series on Sunrday at East Stroudsburg. First pitch of game one is set for 1 p.m. That doubleheader was originally scheduled for Saturday. However, the weather forecast for Saturday is not good.
