Diamondmen Stun No. 1 Tampa, 7-6

Box Score

CLEARWATER, Fla. – West Chester shocked the Division II baseball world Tuesday morning by defeating No. 1 Tampa, 7-6, at Jack Russell Stadium in Clearwater, Fla.
 
Justin Roman's (Berwyn, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) RBI groundout into a fielder's choice in the bottom of the sixth inning plated the eventual winning run, and sophomore right-hander Andrew Gernert (Lenhartzville, Pa./Kutztown) tossed three scoreless innings, allowing just two base runners, to hand West Chester (2-3) its most significant win since capturing the 2012 Division II national title.

Tampa (17-4), the top-ranked team in the country during the four regular-season polls, beat the Philadelphia Phillies in a preseason exhibition back on March 1. However, playing Tuesday at the former spring home of the Phillies, the Spartans could not breakthrough against Gernert in the last three frames.
 
Senior Dylan Tice (Perkasie, Pa./Pennridge) was hit by a pitch with one out in the bottom of the sixth to start the rally. Classmate Matt Petrizzi (Levittown, Pa./Conwell-Egan) then doubled down the left field line to put runners at second and third with one out. Following a pitching change, Roman hit a grounder to short, who threw to third to cut down Petrizzi. However, Tice raced home with what would turn out to be the winning run.
 
The Golden Rams scored seven runs on 12 hits and committed three errors. The Spartans scored six runs on nine hits and also had three miscues.
 
West Chester jumped out on top early with a two-spot in the first off Tampa starter Jake Mielock. Leadoff hitter Drew Diehl (Unionville, Pa./Unionville) singled through the left side to get things started, before Tice and Petrizzi followed with back-to-back doubles.
 
The Spartans responded with three runs in the top of the third inning off WCU starter Jeff O'Reilly (Springfield, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara) to take a 3-2 lead. Tampa tacked on one more in the fourth, before the Golden Rams broke out in their half with a four-run frame.
 
West Chester banged out five hits and capitalized on a Tampa error in the bottom of the fourth to score a pair of unearned runs, along with two earned runs, and take a 6-4 lead. Mike O'Neill (Brick, N.J./Brick Twp.) came on in relief of O'Reilly and threw the fifth and sixth. The junior righty picked up his first win in the Purple & Gold when West Chester scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth.
 
Tampa had knotted things up at 6-apiece in the top half of the sixth inning.
 
Gernert was masterful the rest of the way, striking out five and walking two, but not allowing any hits or runs to the top-ranked team in the land.
 
The win concludes West Chester's southern trip during spring break. The Rams are scheduled to play back-to-back doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday against Millersville in the team's Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference opener. Friday's twinbill is slated to be the squad's home opener.