MILLERSVILLE, Pa. – The No. 19 West Chester University baseball team suffered its first shutout loss since the 2015 season to start the day, before taking game two 4-3 thanks to a three-run home run by
Shane Dressler (YORK HAVEN, PA./RED LAND) to give the Golden Rams a split against Millersville University at Cooper Park on Friday.
WCU moves to 18-8 overall and 7-5 in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) games following the win to keep the Golden Rams near the top of the PSAC Eastern Division standings. On the other side of the diamond, the Marauders head into tomorrow's doubleheader in West Chester (1:00 p.m.) with a 21-11 record on the year and remain in second in the conference standings with a 9-4 mark against PSAC Eastern Division opponents this season.
Game One: West Chester - 0 | Millersville – 2
- The opener was a pitchers' duel early on, as West Chester's Jon Fisher (PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA./PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH) and Millersville's Eli Nabholz combined to allow just one hit through the first three innings of play.
- The home team got on the board first in the bottom of fourth frame, with Dominic Hardaway coming out of a seven-pitch at bat with a RBI single to right to put the Marauders on top 1-0 through four.
- Hardaway answered the bell again the sixth inning with another RBI single (this time to left) to extend Millersville's advantage to 2-0 heading into the final frame.
- With two outs in the seventh, Zach Sheranko (TANNERSVILLE, PA./POCONO MOUNTAIN EAST) notched WCU's first hit of the game and Drew Jarmuz (KENNETT SQUARE, PA./UNIONVILLE) followed with a single of his own to give the Golden Rams two runners on with two outs.
- Both WCU runners then advanced on a wild pitch, but West Chester's comeback would be halted with a swinging strikeout for the third and final out.
West Chester's two hits against the Marauders in game one tied a season low for the Golden Rams and Friday's opener marked the first time since March 2015 that WCU was swept in a game (0-6 vs. Millersville).
On the mound, Fisher (2-2) got the loss after giving up two runs (both earned) on five hits with six strikeouts and three walks in 6.0 innings pitched.
Game Two: West Chester – 4 | Millersville – 3
The Golden Rams were outhit again by the Marauders in game two, but West Chester made each hit count in Friday's nightcap.
- With the score stuck at 0-0 in the top of the third, Dressler stepped to the dish and sent a ringing shot over the right field wall to score both Jared Melone (NORTH WALES, PA./NORTH PENN) and Nick Ward (KENNETT SQUARE, PA./UNIONVILLE) and put the Golden Rams in front, 3-0.
- WCU starter Zach Rice (HONEY BROOK, PA./TWIN VALLEY) held the home team to just four hits over the next four innings to keep the visitors in front 3-0 heading into the final frame.
- In the seventh, Melone took the first pitch he saw out to center field for a RBI single to score Ward and add another run to the West Chester lead.
- The Marauders would not go down without a fight in the seventh, as the home team used some one-out magic to score three runs and land the tying run on second base. West Chester reliever Andrew Scarpelli (LEWISBERRY, PA/TRINITY) (who came in after Rice loaded the bases) was able to breakthrough in the high pressure situation to notch a strikeout and force a groundout to seal the 4-3 victory for the Golden Rams in a key conference contest.
Melone and Dressler both logged two hits and a run scored in the victory, with Dressler adding a homer (2) and a team-high three RBI.
Rice recorded his team-leading fifth victory of the season (5-1) after going 6.1 innings and surrendering three runs (all earned) with three strikeouts. After getting the Golden Rams out of their jam in the seventh, Scarpelli earned his first save of the 2017-18 season.
