Pair of Complete Games Leads West Chester To Sweep Of Shippensburg

WEST CHESTER, Pa. – West Chester's much maligned pitching staff received a pair of complete game efforts from the two starters Saturday, who only allowed three runs in a twin bill sweep over visiting Shippensburg at Serpico Stadium Saturday afternoon.
 
West Chester (19-10, 10-6 PSAC) pulled into a tie for third place in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference standings following the sweep over Shippensburg (14-20, 6-10) that it so desperately needed. Starting pitchers Zach Rice (Honey Brook, Pa./Twin Valley) and David Mervis (Gaithersburg, Md./Gonzaga) each went the distance on both ends of the doubleheader to pick up wins on the mound.

Joe Zirolli (Kennett, Pa./Kennett Square) went a combined 4-for-9 with a triple, a home run and five RBI in the doubleheader.
 
Game 1: West Chester 10  l  Shippensburg 2
 

• Trailing, 2-1 in the bottom of the third, West Chester scored three runs to take a 4-2 lead and would never trail again. The Golden Rams put up crooked numbers in consecutive frames, scoring three in the third, and two in the fourth, fifth and sixth, to close out the game.
• Justin Horn (Willow Grove, Pa./Upper Dublin) went 3-for-4 with a pair of runs scored and a pair of RBI. Joe Zirolli (Kennett, Pa./Kennett Square) hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning. He finished 2-for-5 at the plate. Luke Cantwell also homered in game one and went 2-for-4 at the plate with four RBI.
• Zach Rice (Honey Brook, Pa./Twin Valley) scattered seven hits over seven innings, allowing two runs, walking four and striking out two. He improved to 4-1 on the year.

 
Game 2: West Chester 8  l  Shippensburg 1
 

• David Mervis (Gaithersburg, Md./Gonzaga) tossed a complete-game four-hitter, allowing one run while walking one and striking out four. He improved to 3-0 on the year.
• Horn continued his hot hand going 1-for-3 with a run scored.
• The big blow came in the sixth inning when Joe Zirolli (Kennett, Pa./Kennett Square) hit a two-run triple to right center that iced away the game.
• Jon Hansen (Cherry Hill, N.J./George Mason) was 2-for-3 with three RBI at the plate. J.R. Gifford (Doylestown, Pa./Archbishop Wood) went 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored.

 
West Chester will travel to Chestnut Hill next Thursday in a non-conference game, before taking on PSAC East leading Millersville in a four-game series next Friday and Saturday.