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Box Score 2
WEST CHESTER, Pa. – The West Chester baseball team took two games from Mansfield on a sunny Saturday afternoon at Serpico Stadium. WCU doubled up Mansfield 10-5 in game one, and claimed a tight 4-3 win in game two of the twinbill.
West Chester (23-10, 13-7) took an early 1-0 lead in the first when
Drew Diehl (Unionville, Pa/Unionville) scored an unearned run on a fielding error by the shortstop.
Mansfield (18-20, 6-14) pulled ahead 3-1 in the top of the third, scoring three unearned runs of their own. However, WCU responded with two runs in the bottom half of the inning. RBI singles from
Robert Knox (Hatboro, Pa./Upper Moreland) and
Nick Bateman (Aston, Pa./Malvern) tied the game at 3-3.
Justin Roman (Berwyn, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) and
Shane Dressler (York Haven, Pa./Red Land) RBI doubles, in addition to a Mansfield throwing error gave the Golden Rams a 6-3 edge through four complete.
Another two unearned runs for Mansfield in the top of the fifth pulled the Mounties within one at 6-5. However, again West Chester responded in the bottom half of the inning. A
Bill Ford (Parkside, Pa./Malvern Prep) sacrifice fly scored Bateman, who had singled to lead off the inning. Another Roman double scored two and gave WCU a 9-5 lead through five.
The Golden Rams added an insurance run in the sixth. Ford was hit by a pitch with two outs in the inning. The junior catcher advanced to second on a wild pitch, and scored on a Diehl RBI single up the middle.
Andrew Gernert (Lenhartsville, Pa./Kutztown) earned the game one win and moved to 5-0 on the season. Gernert allowed five Mansfield runs, all unearned, on eight hits and one walked batter. The junior hurler struck out seven.
Josh McClain (Tunkhannock, Pa./Tunkhannock) tossed the final two innings of game one. McClain allowed one hit while striking out three Mansfield batters.
Mansfield jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning of game two. However, West Chester had an answer in the bottom half of the inning. A Roman RBI single through the right side scored Diehl and tied the game at 1-1.
Again, Mansfield scored a run in the second. Again, West Chester had an answer. Ford crossed the plate on an RBI double off the bat of Diehl tying the game at 2-2.
A lone run in the fourth inning gave Mansfield their third lead of the game at 3-2.
Roman's third double of the day started the Golden Rams' fifth inning. Roman would move to third on a
Joe Sheeran (Springfield, Pa./Springfield) double. Both runners scored, giving WCU a 4-3 lead, on a Bateman two-RBI single up the middle.
Mike O'Neil (Brick, N.J./Brick Twp Memorial) earned the game two win in relief of WCU starting pitcher
Dalton Reed (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown West). O'Neil (2-2) tossed five innings, and allowed one run on four hits. The senior reliever struck out four.
Diehl, hitting in the leadoff role, went 5-for-8 on the day and scored three runs. Bateman had a 5-for-7, three-RBI day. Roman finished the day 4-for-7 with four RBI and two runs scored.
The Golden Rams remain tied for second in the PSAC East with East Stroudsburg.
West Chester returns to the diamond on Friday, April 22 for a PSAC East doubleheader at Lock Haven University. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
