EAST STROUDSBURG, PA - Joe Kaleck (Southampton, Pa./Neshaminy) went 4-for-4 with three runs scored and three stolen bases, and
Mike Ferrara (Jamison, Pa./Archbishop Wood) hit three doubles and knocked in four runs as visiting West Chester topped homestanding East Stroudsburg, 7-1, at Creekview Park Friday afternoon in the first game of their three-game weekend conference series.
West Chester (19-8, 8-5 PSAC East) put up single tallies in the first and third, before pushing across three more in the fourth. Runs in the eighth and ninth gave the Golden Rams a 7-0 lead. East Stroudsburg (25-11, 6-7) spoiled the shutout bid of starting pitcher
Gabe Rappa (Paulsboro, N.J./Neumann-Goretti) with a run in the ninth.
Rappa tossed a nine-inning complete game, scattering five hits and allowing just the single run in the bottom of the ninth to improve to 4-1 on the year. He walked one, struck out seven and hit a batter while throwing just 97 pitches.
The first three batters of the game for West Chester all reached safely, before
J.R. Gifford (Doylestown, Pa./Archbishop Wood) walked with the bases loaded to put the Golden Rams up, 1-0, in the first. Kaleck then led off the third with a single and stole both second and third. Ferrara doubled him in from there to make it 2-0.
Corey Stouffer (Souderton, Pa./North Penn) walked to lead off the fourth, which chased ESU starter Tommy Reisinger (4-3). Stouffer stole second, and then Kaleck singled him home following two strikeouts by Warriors reliever Nate Fiala. Kaleck stole second,
Luke Cantwell (Broomall, Pa./Marple Newtown) walked and Ferrara followed with a two-run double into the gap in right-center.
Ferrara doubled home Kaleck in the eighth to extend the lead to 6-0.
Keith Flaherty (Philadelphia, Pa./St. Joseph's Prep) reached on an error in the ninth and then scored on a fielder's choice to make it a 7-0 ballgame. Three singles in the bottom of the ninth led to East Stroudsburg's only tally of the afternoon.
A Jack Rothenhausler single to lead off the fifth for the Warriors ended a string of nine straight batters retired by Rappa. It was also the only hit allowed by Rappa until the eighth inning. ESU picked up four of its five hits in the game in the eighth and ninth innings.
West Chester and East Stroudsburg will play a doubleheader at Serpico Stadium on Saturday beginning at 12 p.m.
