ASTON, Pa. - West Chester University baseball beat Jefferson University 10-3 and 15-2 at the Maplezone Sports Village on Sunday to cap off the opening weekend of the 2020 season, during which the Golden Rams went 3-1.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME ONE | WEST CHESTER 10, JEFFERSON 3
- Jefferson took a 2-0 lead on a home run in the top of the second inning, but WCU junior starting pitcher Braeden Fausnaught (Danville, Pa. / Danville) only allowed one more run throughout the remainder of the game.
- West Chester got on the board for the first time on Sunday in the third inning when junior second baseman Nick D'Amore (Philadelphia, Pa. / Neumann-Goretti) singled in junior shortstop Justin Horn (Willow Grove, Pa. / Upper Dublin).
- Down 3-1 in the bottom of the fourth, WCU took advantage of walks and scored four to go ahead. A base hit by graduate center fielder Drew Jarmuz (Kennett Square, Pa. / Unionville) drove in two.
- The Golden Rams added three more runs in the fifth by capitalizing on Jefferson errors. Sophomore designated hitter Christian Bateman (Aston, Pa. / Sun Valley) delivered an RBI single.
- Horn and and Jarmuz capped off the game's scoring with a run-scoring single and double, respectively, in the bottom of the sixth.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME TWO | WEST CHESTER 15, JEFFERSON 2
- The Golden Rams wasted no time in this one, scoring two runs in each of the first three innings. D'Amore drove in three of those runs with a single in the first inning and a home run in the third. Junior DH Zach Wright (Burlington, N.J. / Northern Burlington) contributed with an RBI double.
- West Chester was held scoreless in the fourth but topped its early success by plating three runners in each of the fifth, sixth and seventh innings. Junior third baseman Matt Daller (Exton, Pa. / Malvern Prep) delivered the big blow with a three-run homer.
INSIDE THE STATS | GAME ONE:
- In his first outing as a Golden Ram, Fausnaught pitched a seven-inning complete game. He struck out seven while surrendering just five hits and two walks.
- Horn went 3-for-3 a single, double, triple, two walks and four runs scored in the victory. He's leading the team with 11 runs after the first four games of the season.
- Jarmuz went 2-of-5 with a double, stolen base and four RBIs.
INSIDE THE STATS | GAME TWO:
- West Chester had 20 hits. It was the first time the team had 20 hits in a game since a 17-5 victory over Mansfield University on May 4, 2018.
- D'Amore went 5-for-5 with six RBIs and two runs scored in the win. D'Amore is batting .643 with a 1.865 OPS after the first four games of the season. He has two dingers.
- Wright went 4-for-5 out of the leadoff spot with three doubles.
- WCU's pitching was as good as the offense in this one as graduate student Culver Hughes (Exton, Pa. / West Chester East) started it with four great innings of one-run baseball and five strikeouts. He allowed just three hits. Four relievers finished it off for West Chester, including sophomore Nick Cataldi (Warminster, Pa. / William Tennant) who twirled a perfect seventh inning with two strikeouts.
The Golden Rams are scheduled to play at Serpico Stadium on the campus of West Chester University for their next three games. They face Saint Thomas Aquinas on Saturday in a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m. as well in one game on Sunday set for noon.
