Box Score
WEST LAWN, Pa. - No. 17 West Chester University saw its season come to a close with a 4-2 loss to Shepherd University in an elimination game of the 2016 NCAA Division II Atlantic Region baseball tournament at Owls Field at Ted Palka Park on a rainy Saturday afternoon.
West Chester (37-14) jumped out to a 2-0 lead after one inning, but Shepherd (38-14) battled back with a pair of unearned runs in the fourth and single tallies in the fifth and seventh to advance to Sunday's regional semifinal against East Stroudsburg, who eliminated Seton Hill Saturday as well.
Shane Dressler (York Haven, Pa./Red Land) singled in
Justin Roman (Berwyn, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) and
Nick Ward (Unionville, Pa./Unionville) to put the Golden Rams on top early, 2-0. However, a throwing error with two outs in the top of the fourth opened the door for the Shepherd Rams, who tied the game as a result.
Shepherd then scored the eventual game-winning run when Atlantic Region player of the year, Tre Porter tripled to left-center in the fifth and then scored when J.J. Sarty beat out a slow roller to second base with two outs. Sarty singled up the middle in the seventh to score a runner from second base and make it a 4-2 ballgame.
From there, reliever Jamie Driver (2) shut down the Golden Rams to hand starter A.J. Stead (8-1) the victory. Stead was spectacular in the game, scattering five hits over seven innings while allowing just the two runs in the first. He allowed just three base runners after the first inning, until the seventh. West Chester put together a rally, loading the bases on a pair of walks and a single off of Stead, with just one out. However, Shepherd got out of the jam by virtue of a flyout-throw-him-out double play to end the inning and the threat with Dressler waiting on deck.
Andrew Gernert (Lenhartsville, Pa./Kutztown) (8-2) was the hard-luck loser on the mound. He started the game and threw six strong innings. He allowed four runs, only two of them earned, on five hits while walking three and striking out five.
Josh McClain (Tunkhannock, Pa./Tunkhannock) yielded just one hit over the last three innings while striking out two to finish up.
