MILLERSVILLE, PA –
Sean Szestowicki (Mount Royal, N.J./Kingsway Regional) and
Mike Ferrara (Jamison, Pa./Archbishop Wood) each homered in the top of the eighth inning of game two, and
Braeden Fausnaught (Danville, Pa./Danville) and
Joe Sperone (Broomall, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara) each tossed gems, as visiting West Chester swept a doubleheader and the season series from No. 15 Millersville Saturday by scores of 11-2 and 10-1.
West Chester (24-9, 12-6 PSAC East) drew within one game of division-leading Millersville (31-11, 13-5) and even with Shippensburg (20-21, 12-6) with the three-game sweep this weekend. It marked the first time that the Golden Rams swept the Marauders in Millersville since 2010 and the first time that they swept the season series from them since 2009.
Szestowicki's grand slam was the back-breaker during a nine-run eighth that put the game away. Ferrara later stepped to the plate and hit a three-run shot to make it a 10-0 ballgame. Through seven innings, neither side had mustered more than two hits in the contest. Sperone (5-2) allowed one run on four hits. He walked one and struck out eight. It was his second complete game of the season and first that was a nine-inning affair. Millersville's Luke Trainer spoiled the shutout bid with a RBI double in the ninth.
In the opener, Fausnaught allowed two runs on six hits. He walked three and struck out six improving to 6-1 on the year.
Luke Cantwell (Broomall, Pa./Marple Newtown) went 3-for-4 in the first game with three RBI.
Justin Horn (Willow Grove, Pa./Upper Darby) showed why West Chester is a different team with him in the lineup. He was 2-for-2 with four runs scored and a pair of RBI.
The Golden Rams opened a 7-0 lead by the fourth inning thanks to a four-run fourth. The first four batters of that frame reached base safely with
Zack Miles (Hatfield, Pa./North Penn) hit a run-scoring double.
Zack Wright (Columbus, N.J./No. Burlington County Regional) followed with a two-run single. Horn hit a sacrifice fly to score the final run of the inning.
West Chester scored one more in the sixth and then added three insurance tallies in the seventh.
The Golden Rams travel to Kutztown on Friday for the first game of a three-game weekend series. West Chester will then host the Golden Bears on Saturday for a doubleheader at Serpico Stadium. It will be Alumni Day and Senior Day for the Golden Rams as they honor the 1971 squad, and the two national championship teams (2012, 2017).
