Box Score
LEESBURG, Fla. - What was billed as a pitcher's duel did not disappoint Saturday evening at Pat Thomas Stadium as West Chester defeated No. 20 Slippery Rock, 4-3, in its second game down south at the Russmatt Invitational.
West Chester (5-5-1) bounced back from an opening loss to Northwood (Mich.) on Friday to top PSAC West favorite Slippery Rock (9-5). The Golden Rams sent their ace, Joe Gunkel, to the mound opposite The Rock's No. 1 in Lou Trivino, and runs were hard to come by all day.
Gunkel (3-1) went the distance, allowing three runs on eight hits, tying a career-high with nine strikeouts and walking just one batter. He threw 103 pitches - 75 for strikes - with 23 of those coming in the ninth inning when Slippery Rock put together its only rally of the day.
After facing six batters in the first and giving up one run to even the score at 1-1, Gunkel settled in and faced the minimum number of batters through the eighth inning. He did so while throwing just 80 pitches in the first eight frames. He retired 13 in a row at one point and 18 of 19, before he started to labor in the ninth. The runner that reached in those 19 at bats was erased with a double play.
West Chester put up single tallies in the first, third, sixth and ninth. Slippery Rock scored once in the first and twice in the ninth. Trivino (3-1) suffered his first loss of the year while surrendering his first three runs of the season - only two of which were earned.
He threw 6.2, scattering eight hits, walking two and striking out four.
Jack Provine scored three of West Chester's four runs, finishing 1-for-4. Chris Pula went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI while Mike Raimo was 2-for-5. Pula's single to right-center, plated Provine with the eventual winning run with one out.
West Chester takes on Ashland (Ohio) Sunday at 11:30 and then faces Slippery Rock in a rematch at 3 p.m. Both games are in Auburndale.
