WEST CHESTER, PA – Six straight recorded an RBI hit during an eight-run fifth inning as host West Chester came from behind to defeat visiting Mansfield, 13-4, on a gorgeous day for baseball at Serpico Stadium Friday afternoon.
West Chester (13-2, 4-0 PSAC East) remained perfect in conference play and upped its overall winning streak on the season to seven straight with the win over Mansfield (6-9, 0-3).
The Mountaineers scored two runs in the top of the third to tie the game at 2-apiece, and then added a single run in the fourth and fifth to pull ahead 4-2. However, starter Eric Gustofson (1-3), who had cruised through the first four frames, ran into trouble in the bottom of the fifth. West Chester ended up plating eight runs on six hits while Mansfield went through three pitchers. When the dust settled, the Golden Rams had opened up a 10-4 lead and never looked back.
Zack Wright (Columbus, N.J./No. Burlington County Regional) got things started in the fateful fifth with one out when he reached on an error and advanced to second on a balk called against Gustofson.
Joe Kaleck (Southampton, Pa./Neshaminy) walked, before he and Wright pulled off a double steal.
Justin Horn (Willow Grove, Pa./Upper Dublin) then walked to load the bases.
That's when West Chester strung together six straight hits that scored eight runs.
Mike Ferrara (Jamison, Pa./Archbishop Wood) scored Wright with a single to right, and
Luke Cantwell (Broomall, Pa./Marple Newtown) followed with a two-run single up the middle chasing home Horn and Kaleck. Mansfield went to right-hander Scott Poulson after that, but he faced four batters without retiring anybody, before being lifted for Austin Lewis.
Keith Flaherty (Philadelphia, Pa./St. Joseph's Prep) doubled to left-center scoring Ferrara and Cantwell,
Corey Stouffer (Souderton, Pa./North Penn) singled home Flaherty,
J.R. Gifford (Doylestown, Pa./Archbishop Wood) doubled in Stouffer and
Zack Miles (Hatfield, Pa./North Penn) doubled in Gifford to chase Poulson.
Golden Rams' right-hander
Joe Messina (Philadelphia, Pa./Neumann-Goretti), who had come on in the top of the fifth to get the final out, was given a six-run lead that he would not relinquish to pick up his first win on the season. Messina tossed 2.1 scoreless innings, walking one and striking out three. He did not surrender a hit.
Nick Picariello (Philadelphia, Pa./Germantown Academy) went the rest of the way, throwing two more scoreless innings. He allowed one hit, walked one and struck out three.
West Chester's bullpen surrendered just one hit in five scoreless innings of work Friday. Combine that with Wednesday's seven innings in a 13-inning marathon, and the Golden Rams' bullpen has thrown 12 consecutive scoreless innings while only yielding two hits. They have walked just five and struck out 17 over that span. Overall, West Chester's bullpen carries a streak of 14 consecutive scoreless innings into Sunday's doubleheader at Mansfield, which will be played in Corning, NY.
Cantwell hit a RBI single in the sixth to put West Chester on top 11-4. Ferrara singled up the middle in the eighth to score Horn, and Flaherty added a sacrifice fly scoring Ferrara to account for the 12th and 13th runs of the ballgame.
A two-run double in the second by Gifford, scoring Cantwell and Ferrara, had originally given the hosts a 2-0 lead after two.
Ferrara finished the game 5-for-5 with a pair of RBI and four runs scored. Cantwell went 4-for-5 with three RBI and a pair of runs scored. Flaherty and Gifford had three RBI each as well. Horn went 2-for-4 with a double and a triple.
West Chester and Mansfield will conclude their three-game season series on Sunday with a doubleheader at Corning Community College in Corning, NY.
