Box Score
WEST CHESTER, Pa. - Ben Spezialetti scored on a wild pitch with one out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth as host West Chester University defeated visiting Chestnut Hill, 10-9, in a non-league baseball game at Serpico Stadium Wednesday afternoon.
West Chester (13-8-1) blew a three-run lead in the top half of the ninth, but quickly loaded the bases in its final at bats to pull out the win over Chestnut Hill (9-11).
"Woody" walked to lead off the ninth and Spezialetti was inserted to run for him. Tyler Coleman then reached on a catcher's interference. When Kyle Frazier reached on an error by the Griffins' pitcher, the Golden Rams had the bags full with nobody out. Dylan Zigman flew out to shallow left, before Spezialietti came racing home with the winning run on a wild pitch.
Brent Roehrich (2-0) picked up the win on the mound for West Chester, though he surrendered three runs on two hits and walked two batters in the ninth. He left runners at first and third when he got out of the inning on a fielder's choice.
Freshman Eric Close started and thew the first five innings, scattering six hits and allowing just one earned run. He exited with a 7-4 lead. Ron Scull relieved him and yielded one run on two hits in two innings of work. Greg McCuch pitched the eighth and gave up one run on one hit.
Justin Lamborn hit a RBI single, and Chris Pula followed with a sacrifice fly, to answer Chestnut Hill's one run in the top of the first inning, and held a 2-1 lead after one. Coleman tripled in a run in the second, and Spekhardt singled home Coleman to give West Chester a 4-1 lead.
Jack Provine, who was named ECAC player of the week last week, then doubled home Spekhardt with his second two-bagger in as many innings. Provine finished 2-for-5 in the game.
West Chester added two more in the fifth on a single from Nick Bonadies and a double from Wlodarczyk. Those runs were an answer to the three-spot that Chestnut Hill posted in the top half of the frame. West Chester led, 7-4, at that point. A two-run single by Pula in the eighth gave the hosts what turned out to be two very important runs, making it a 9-6 ballgame.
West Chester hosts Mansfield in a PSAC East doubleheader showdown at Serpico Stadium on Friday at 1 p.m. The two conference rivals will finish off the four-game set on Saturday in Mansfield with another doubleheader.
