Horn Hits Grand Slam as West Chester Splits Season-Opener with Saint Rose

ASTON, Pa. After a blowout first game, the West Chester baseball team split its doubleheader with Saint Rose on Saturday to open the 2020 season. Both teams are now 1-1 on the season. The two seven-inning matches were originally planned to be held in Virginia before being moved to the Maplezone Sports Village in Aston, Pa. due to weather.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME ONE:

• West Chester opened the game with seven consecutive walks (including three hit batsmen). West Chester would score 10 runs in the top of the first, capitalized by a grand slam from junior shortstop Justin Horn (Willow Grove, Pa. / Upper Dublin).
• A triple from Hunt followed by back-to-back doubles by Drew Jarmus (Kennett Square, Pa. / Unionville) and Ryan Calhoun (North Wales, PA / Germantown Academy) highlighted an eight-run third inning for the Golden Rams as they took an 18-0 lead.
• In the top of the fifth, West Chester added three runs to earn a commanding 21-0 lead. Jarmus earned the big hit of the inning with an RBI triple to score Hunt.
• Saint Rose got on the board in the bottom of the sixth with a five-run inning, leading to the eventual final score of 21-5.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME TWO:

• West Chester got on the board first in the bottom of the first as Hunter Reeser (Mohnton, Pa. / Governor Mifflin) hit an RBI single to break the ice. Nick D'Amore (Philadelphia, PA / Neumann-Goretti) then followed up with a two-RBI double to give West Chester a 3-0 lead.
• Saint Rose scored three runs over the course of the third and fourth innings to tie the game at 3-3 heading into the bottom of the fourth.
• In the bottom of the fourth, D'Amore took back the lead for the Golden Rams with a solo home run to left center field.
• Saint Rose responded quickly in the top of the fifth as they scored two runs to take a 5-4 lead.
• Reeser retaliated in the bottom half of the fifth with a solo home run of his own, tying the game up at 5-5.
• Neither team managed to score in the sixth or seventh, forcing extra innings in the seven-inning contest.
• Saint Rose struck first in the eighth as they rallied to score two runs off a double down the left field line, giving them a 7-5 lead.
• West Chester did not manage to respond in the bottom of the eight as Saint Rose won game two 7-5.

 
INSIDE THE STATS | GAME ONE:

• Starting pitcher David Mervis (Gathersburg, MD / Gonzaga) earned the victory for West Chester. He pitched 4 2/3 innings of two-hit, scoreless baseball while tallying five strikeouts.
• Hunt was a double away from the cycle as he went three-for-five with four runs scored and seven RBI's on a grand slam and a triple.
• Jarmuz meanwhile was a home run away from the cycle as he batted four-for-five with two doubles and a triple, four runs scored, and two RBI's.
• As a team, West Chester earned 14 walks (four hit-by-pitches).

 
INSIDE THE STATS | GAME TWO:

• Zach Rice (Honey Brook, Pa. / Twin Valley) earned his first start of the season as he struck out eight batters while allowing three earned runs in 4 2/3 innings for West Chester.
• D'Amore was two-for-three on the game as he scored one run and three RBI's while hitting a double and a home run.
• Reeser also went two-for-three as he hit a home run and scored two runs and two RBI's.

 
OUTSIDE THE BOX

• Justin Horn's seven-RBI performance in game one tied West Chester's program record for most RBI's in a game. Horn now shares the record with Drew Pare (2008) and Mark Gilliford (2007).

 
Baseball will return to action tomorrow as they face Jefferson in a doubleheader starting at noon. The games will be held at the Maplezone Sports Village.