NEWARK, Del. – The Golden Rams erased an early one-run deficit to take a 4-1 advantage in the seventh inning, but the host University of Delaware ended the game by scoring four-unanswered runs to hand the No. 10 West Chester University baseball team a 5-4 loss on the second day of the Delaware Classic.
WCU moves to 8-3 overall following Sunday's loss ahead of the Golden Rams' meeting with Goldey-Beacom later today to close out the Delaware Classic at the Bob Hannah Stadium.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Facing a 1-0 hole through four frames, the visiting Golden Rams squared Sunday's game in the top of the fifth inning after senior Joey Coyle (WILMINGTON, DEL./SALESIANUM) tallied his fourth double of the year to score junior Corey Webb (EASTON, PA./EASTON) from third.
- As they have so many times already this season, the Golden Rams used a late inning to take control of Sunday's game – although it was the seventh frame on Sunday instead of the eighth where the Golden Rams did most of their damage over spring break. Kyle Feaster (TROOPER, PA./METHACTION) put the visitors in front with a RBI double to score Jon Hansen (CHERRY HILL, N.J. GEORGE MASON). Feaster would come home thanks to a UD error and former Blue Hen Michael Krusinski (MEDFORD, NJ/BISHOP EUSTACE PREP) walked in a run with the bases loaded.
- Trailing 4-1, Delaware led off the bottom of the seventh by having five of their first six batters reach base safely with singles. The Blue Hens went on to knot the game at 4-4 during that span, which led to the end of West Chester starter Zach Rice's (HONEY BROOK, PA./TWIN VALLEY) day after the sophomore gave up four runs (all earned) on seven hits with one strikeout in 6.1 inning pitched.
- Righty Tyler Forbes (ATHENS, PA./ATHENS AREA) came in for Rice to close out the seventh prior to holding the Blue Hens hitless in the following inning. With the score still squared at 4-4 in the ninth, West Chester went strikeout-groundout-strikeout to put the host Blue Hens in the driver's seat entering the home half of the ninth.
- John Carpenter led off the ninth with a triple and Jack Goan and Brad Kaden went on to both walk, which loaded the bases for the home team with just one out. With the bases juiced, a RBI by Chance Difebbo spelled the end for the Golden Rams on Sunday, as the Blue Hens managed to escape the afternoon with the 5-4 come-from-behind victory.
Hansen went 2-for-4 with a run scored on Sunday, while Coyle tallied one hit and a team-high two RBI in four plate appearances. Defensively, the Golden Rams did not committee a single error in Sunday's loss, but West Chester did leave 11 runners stranded on base.
Forbes (1-1) suffered his first loss of the season on Sunday after giving up the winning run to Difebbo in the bottom of the ninth. Forbes struck out three Blue Hens in 1.2 innings to go along with two hits and four walks.
UP NEXT
West Chester returns to the Bob Hannah Stadium later this afternoon, as the Golden Rams are schedule to take on Goldey-Beacom for the second time this weekend. West Chester defeated the Lightning 6-3 in their meeting yesterday morning.
