KISSIMMEE, Fla. - Looking to extend its current six-game winning streak, the No. 13 West Chester University baseball team returned to the Oceola Country Stadium on Tuesday morning to square off against Wayne State University on day three of the D9 Sunshine State Games in Kissimmee, Florida.
Fueled by a four-run first inning, the Golden Rams downed the Warriors 6-0 on Tuesday morning to move West Chester to 9-2 overall after recording its second shutout victory of the year. Tuesday's win marks the fourth for the Golden Rams at the D9 Sunshine State Games and the seventh straight since dropping a 12-5 decision to Saint Thomas Aquinas on February 25.
Following a strikeout to start the first inning, senior
Nick Ward (Kennett Square, Pa. / Unionville) reached base on a walk before advancing to second thanks to a single by junior Jared Melone
(North Wales, Pa. / North Penn) to give the Golden Rams two runners on with one out. Senior
Shane Dressler (York Haven, Pa. / Red Land) followed with a walk to load the bases and Ward would then came in to score on a passed ball to give West Chester the 1-0 advantage with still only on out on the board. With two men on, junior
Drew Jarmuz (Kennett Square, Pa. / Unionville) stepped to the plate and sent a shot out to right field to score both Dressler and Melone - bringing the score to 3-0 following the two-run RBI. With two outs, freshman Christian Bateman
(Aston, Pa / Sun Valley) singled in Jarmuz from second to end the inning with the Golden Rams on top, 4-0.
Pitcher
Scott McKenna (Havertown, Pa. / Haverford) made the most of his first start of the season, holding Wayne State to no runs on one hit with five strikeouts to keep the Golden Rams in front 4-0 through five innings. Junior
Andrew Scarpelli (Lewisberry, Pa/Trinity) came in to relieve McKenna in the sixth inning and hurled two scoreless frames, allowing West Chester to maintain its four-run cushion through 7.5 innings.
In the seventh, sophomore
Corey Webb (Easton, Pa. / Easton) reached on an error by the Warriors' shortstop and then stole second to give WCU one man on with nobody out. Freshman
Justin Horn (Willow Grove, Pa. / Upper Dublin) followed by reaching first on a fielder's choice and then taking second to replace Webb who was thrown out by the catcher on the play. Melone then stepped in and smacked a RBI single to the outfield to score Horn from second and extend the Golden Rams' lead to 5-0 through seven.
Following two fly outs to start the eighth inning, freshman
Christian Bateman (Aston, Pa / Sun Valley) got on with a single and was brought in off a RBI double by junior
Franklin Ramirez (Reading, Pa. / Berks Catholic), extending the WCU cushion to 6-0.
Senior
Bill Ford (Parkside, Pa. / Malvern Prep) came in to pitch the ninth and did not allow a hit to the three batters he faced to secure the 6-0 victory for West Chester on Tuesday afternoon.
Bateman and Ramirez both went 3-for-4 with a RBI in Tuesday's victory, while Melone added two hits and one RBI against the Warriors. Ward, Dressler, and Jarmuz all tallied one hit in the victory, with Jarmuz adding a team-high two RBI for the Golden Rams.
On the mound, McKenna (1-0) got the win after allowing no runs on just one hit in 5.0 innings pitched.
