West Chester Upsets No. 6/29 Grand Valley State, 8-4

Box Score LAKELAND, Fla. – West Chester's first four batters in the lineup combined to go 10-for-18 with five RBI, and starting pitcher Andrew Gernert (Lenhartsville, Pa./Kutztown), held sixth-ranked Grand Valley State in check as the Golden Rams came away with an 8-4 victory Monday morning at the Russmatt Invitational at Henley Field.
 
West Chester (5-2) has now won its last two contests, after dropping its first game down south during spring break. Grand Valley State falls to 8-5 overall, after dropping its third straight tilt to a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference opponent. Seton Hill swept a doubleheader from GVSU on Sunday.
 
West Chester, receiving votes in both the latest National Collegiate Baseball Writers' Association (NCBWA) and the Collegiate Baseball Writers' Division II poll, stated its case for being ranked with a convincing win over Grand Valley State (#6 in NCBWA; #29 in Collegiate Baseball). The Golden Rams scored eight runs on 14 hits and committed three errors. The Lakers scored four runs on 10 hits and committed a pair of errors.
 
Gernert (1-0), right-handed senior hurler, started the game on the hill and lasted 5.2 innings. He gave up three runs, two of them earned, on six hits while walking two and striking out two. Josh McClain (Tunkhannock, Pa./Tunkhannock) earned his first save in relief, finishing up the rest of the way. He allowed one unearned run on four hits while walking one and striking out four.
 
Joey Coyle (Wilmington, Del./Salesianum) and Nick Ward (Unionville, Pa./Unionville) each went 3-for-5 in the top two spots in the batting order. Ward knocked in three runs, including his second home run of the season in the top of the ninth. Shane Dressler (York Haven, Pa./Red Land) was 3-for-4 in the game with a RBI.
 
West Chester will take on Flagler Tuesday in a doubleheader that begins at 12:30 p.m. at Pat Thomas Stadium in Leesburg, Fla.