FLEMINGTON, N.J. – The West Chester Golden Rams baseball team kicked off the 2021 season with a split doubleheader against Mansfield. The Mounties claimed game one 4-3 while the Golden Rams won game two decisively 11-4.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME ONE
- Senior shortstop Justin Horn (Willow Grove, Pa. / Upper Dublin) rang in the season in a big way. Batting second in the top of the first, Horn smacked a solo home run giving West Chester the early 1-0 lead.
- The score remained 1-0 until the top of the fourth, when second baseman Nick D'Amore (Philadelphia, PA / Neumann-Goretti) hit a solo home run of his own, doubling the Golden Rams' lead over the Mounties.
- D'Amore returned to the plate in the top of the sixth, where he doubled down on his home run count on the day, slapping a solo shot and giving West Chester a 3-0 lead.
- On the mound, senior starting pitcher Braeden Fausnaught (Danville, PA / Danville) pitched five scoreless innings heading into the bottom of the sixth. Following back-to-back singles to start the inning, the Mounties got on the board, scoring two runs on the inning to cut the Golden Rams' lead down to 3-2.
- In the bottom of the seventh, the Mounties rallied, starting with a lead-off double. Two runs scored on the inning, and the Mounties took game one in walk-off fashion.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME TWO
- Horn got on base via a single in the top of the first to start off game two. After hitting a home run in game one, Horn proved he can also play small ball, getting from first base to home on a series of passed balls, scoring the first run on the game for WCU. D'Amore would also score on the inning on a sacrifice fly from Luke Cantwell (Broomall, Pa. / Marple Newtown), giving West Chester a 2-0 lead.
- A solo home run from Mansfield's Josh Farina cut West Chester's lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the first.
- In the top of the second, the Golden Rams responded as D'Amore batted in Horn on an RBI single up the middle, increasing their lead to 3-1.
- Leading off in the top of the fourth, senior outfielder Brian Verratti (Philadelphia, Pa. / Neumann-Goretti) smacked a solo home run to kick off the inning's festivities. Later on, Horn and D'Amore each reached base and executed a double steal, moving to third and second base, respectively. Junior first baseman Mike Ferrera (Jamison, PA / Archbishop Wood) batted a ball in play, forcing an error, and allowing Horn and D'Amore to score, increasing the Golden Rams' lead to 6-1.
- Next inning, Verratti went for two, hitting his second solo home run of the game to increase West Chester's lead to 7-1.
- Over the fifith and sixth innings, Mansfield began to respond offensively, scoring three runs over the course of the two innings, cutting West Chester's lead to a 7-4 margin.
- The long ball took over the game in the top of the seventh for the Golden Rams. Ferrera led off the inning with a solo home run. Three batters later, junior catcher JR Gifford (Doylestown, Pa. / Archbishop Wood) hit a two-RBI home run, scoring Matt Daller (Exton, Pa. / Malvern Prep) Verratti stepped up to the plate next, and closed the book offensively on the day with his third solo home run of the game, giving West Chester their 11-4 lead, which would hold for the victory.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS | GAME ONE
- D'Amore led the way offensively for the Golden Rams, going 2-for-3 with two home runs.
- Fausnaught threw 5.2 innings of two-run baseball, allowing two walks and three hits while striking out six Mansfield batters.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS | GAME TWO
- Verratti, a fifth-year senior, had yet to have hit a home run in his career with the Golden Rams. He righted that ship today with three solo shots, going 4-for-4 with three solo home runs.
- Ferrara went 2-for-4 with a solo home run (his first with the Golden Rams).
- On the mound, junior starting pitcher Jack Slade (McLean, VA / McLean) pitched a complete game, allowing four runs on five hits while striking out 11 Mansfield batters.
OUTSIDE THE BOX
- Verratti's three home runs in game two is tied most home runs in a game on record in program history. The record was first recorded in the 1960s by Bob Warner, and has since been tied by both Drew Pare and Joe Wendle.
UP NEXT
West Chester will return to action tomorrow for the second half of their four-game series against Mansfield. The Golden Rams will be the home team for both of their matches at Diamond Nation tomorrow, with game one set to start at noon.
