EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. – Coming off 6-1 defeat against Wilmington (Del.) yesterday in the championship of the Bill Giles Invitational, the No. 17 West Chester University baseball team returned to action on Wednesday afternoon as the squad headed to Mitterling Field for a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) doubleheader against East Stroudsburg.
Paced by a combined 12 RBI on the day by
Jared Melone (NORTH WALES, PA./NORTH PENN) and
Nick Ward (KENNETT SQUARE, PA./UNIONVILLE), the Golden Rams took game one 12-5 in extra innings before claiming the nightcap 8-4 from the host Warriors.
Wednesday's wins move West Chester to 22-9 overall and 11-5 in the PSAC and the two triumphs seal the season sweep for the Golden Rams over East Stroudsburg (17-16, 6-10 PSAC).
Game One: West Chester - 12 | East Stroudsburg - 5
- Ward started game one with a double and he was brought home with a RBI single from Melone to put the visitors out in front 1-0 to start the afternoon.
- ESU's Brainy Rojas gave his squad a 2-1 lead with a 2-RBI double in the second inning, before Shane Dressler (YORK HAVEN, PA./RED LAND) would knot the game at 2-2 with a RBI double in the third frame.
- Justin Horn (WILLOW GROVE, PA./UPPER DUBLIN) put WCU ahead 3-2 in the fourth by doubling in Jon Hansen (CHERRY HILL, N.J. GEORGE MASON) but the Warriors responded with two scores in the bottom of the fourth frame to retake the lead at 4-3 heading into the fifth.
- With the score stuck at 4-3 in the sixth, the Golden Rams landed their first two batters on base thanks to back-to-back HBP's. Horn advanced both runners with a sacrifice bunt and Ward followed with a 2-RBI single to score both pinch runner Joey Coyle (WILMINGTON, DEL. SALESIANUM) and Corey Webb (EASTON, PA./EASTON) and put West Chester back on top 5-4 in the top of the sixth inning.
- After WCU failed to add any runs in the top of the seventh, the home team came to bat just two runs away from taking the win. Despite not recording a hit in the frame, the Warriors managed to turn four walks into a run and knot the game at 5-5 to force extra innings in game one.
- The Golden Rams made sure the game would go no longer than eight innings, as Melone belted a two-run homer with no outs to spark the biggest inning of the game for West Chester.
- Up 7-5, West Chester padded its lead with a walk, a 2-RBI double by Coyle, and a RBI double by Ward to cap off the big seven-run inning up 12-5 over the Warriors.
- With his team up seven, reliever Bill Ford (PARKSIDE, PA./MALVERN PREP) came into the game a got out three-straight batters to end the stanza and give the Golden Rams the 12-5 victory to start the day.
The heart of the West Chester lineup came to play in a big way in the opener, as Ward, Melone, and Dressler combined for nine hits, seven RBI, and four runs to pace the Golden Rams' offense.
On the mound, Ford got the victory to improve to 3-1, while
Andrew Scarpelli (LEWISBERRY, PA/TRINITY) logged a season-high eight strikeouts in relief of starter
Tim Edwards (HERSHEY, PA./HERSHEY).
Game Two: West Chester - 8 | East Stroudsburg – 4
- Following a scoreless first inning, ESU's Laine Renaud connected on a two-run homer to left field to put the home team on top 2-0 early.
- With two outs in the fourth, Melone came through again – this time with a 2-RBI single – to score both Ward and Webb to knot the game at 2-2.
- Dressler followed with a single to score Ward from third and put WCU in front 3-2, before Hansen walked in Melone from third to push the visitors' advantage to 4-2 through four.
- The Warriors logged their second long ball of the game in the bottom of the fourth, as a rocket shot by Steven Zimmerman from the leadoff spot hacked the Golden Rams' advantage down to a single run.
- No stranger to long drives, Ward responded with his PSAC-leading tenth home run – a three-run shot - of the season in the bottom of the fourth to extend the West Chester lead to 7-3 heading into the fifth.
- East Stroudsburg's last run came in the fifth to make the score 7-4, before Melone ended the scoring in the game by sacrificing in Ward in the eighth to bring the final score to 8-4 – giving Melone his sixth RBI of the day.
Webb led the Golden Rams with three hits in game two, while Melone and Ward both notched one hit and three RBI in the win. Dressler and Hansen each logged two hits in the nightcap and Coyle tied for the team lead with two runs scored against the Warriors.
Scott McKenna (HAVERTOWN, PA./HAVERFORD) (2-1) went the distance for the first time this season, getting the complete game victory after surrendering four runs (all earned) on seven hits with six strikeouts on the day.
