No. 21 West Chester Shuts Out Jefferson

ASTON, Pa. – Joe Zirolli (Kennett, Pa./Kennett Square) went 3-for-7 with a triple and a pair of RBIs, and five pitchers combined on a five-hit shutout as No. 21 West Chester blanked Jefferson, 18-0, on a cold Sunday evening with winds gusting up to 30 mph at Maplezone Sports Institute.
 
West Chester (3-0), playing its opening weekend down Rte. 202, instead of in Virginia due to the projected forecast for that region, registered its second straight shutout. The Golden Rams scored 18 runs on 17 hits and did not commit any errors. Meanwhile Jefferson (0-3) did not score any runs on five hits and made six errors.
 
How it Happened

• West Chester put up single tallies in each of the first two innings with the runs coming via a bases loaded hit by pitch and a bases loaded walk. The Golden Rams then added four in the third, three in the fourth, five in the sixth and four in the seventh.
• Eight of West Chester's 17 hits went for extra bases, including five triples. 10 of the Golden Rams' 18 runs were earned.
• West Chester's top three hitters in the lineup combined to go 7-for-14 with six RBIs and seven runs scored.
• Zirolli finished 3-for-7 with a pair of RBIs and a pair of runs scored. Luke Cantwell (Broomall, Pa./Marple Newtown) was 3-for-5 with a double and a triple. He also stole home on the backend of a double steal.
• Michael Krusinski (Medford, N.J./Bishop Eustace Prep) hit a pinch-hit, 3-run HR in the sixth inning.
• Justin Horn (Willow Grove, Pa./Upper Dublin) was 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs and four runs scored. Meanwhile, Jared Melone (North Wales, Pa./North Penn) went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs.
• Fr., catcher J.R. Gifford (Doylestown, Pa./Archbishop Wood) went 2-for-6 with three runs scored. He also threw out two would-be base stealers.
• Jon Hansen (Cherry Hill, N.J./George Mason) went 2-for-5 with a RBI and a run scored.

On the Hill

• David Mervis (Gaithersburg, Md./Gonzaga) started and went four innings, allowing two hits and striking out three without walking a batter.
• Left-hander Scott McKenna (Havertown, Pa./Haverford) relieved him and went two innings, striking out four while yielding one hit and walking one batter.

Notes:

• West Chester batters struck out 21 times in the win.
• The winds really picked up in the bottom of the second inning and gusted up to 30 mph throughout the remainder of the contestt
• West Chester will be back in action on March 6 when the Golden Rams host Jefferson at Serpico Stadium. First pitch is set for 2:30 p.m.