Mike LaRosa press conference
Luke Cantwell press conference
WEST CHESTER, PA – Luke Cantwell (Broomall, Pa./Marple Newtown) hit a two-run single in the bottom of the first, and left-handed ace
Braeden Fausnaught (Danville, Pa./Danville) made that hold up with some help from his center fielder,
Zack Wright (Columbus, N.J./No. Burlington County Regional), as 13th-ranked West Chester won a baseball game that had almost everything, defeating visiting Slippery Rock, 2-1, in the NCAA Atlantic Regional at Serpico Stadium Thursday afternoon.
West Chester (30-11) advances to Friday's second round and will play Seton Hill (32-17-1), a 10-2 winner over Slippery Rock earlier in the day, in a doubleheader that will begin at 11 a.m. The Rock (33-17) saw its season come to a close.
Cantwell laced a 1-0 fastball to right-center that plated
Justin Horn (Willow Grove, Pa./Upper Dublin) and
Mike Ferrara (Jamison, Pa./Archbishop Wood) with the Golden Rams' only two runs of the game. That two-out single put West Chester up 2-0. But, it could very well have been a game-tying single had Wright not made the steal of the century in the top half of the first.
With one out and one on, Slippery Rock's all-region catcher, Connor Hamilton, gave a 3-1 fastball from Fausnaught a ride to dead center field. However, Wright leaped, reaching over the fence with his glove, and brought the ball back for the second out of the inning. It may read, "Hamilton flyout to CF" in the play-by-play, but that description doesn't do the play justice.
Hamilton got his revenge in the fourth when he hit a towering home run to left-center that disappeared in the pine trees after clearing the scoreboard. It was The Rock's only run of the game.
"(Hamilton) hit probably a 500-foot home run off of me. That might be the longest home run I've ever given up," Fausnaught said. "But, it was still a good day. They have a good lineup, and we just wanted to challenge them inside with fastballs."
Outside of that one pitch, Fausnaught (8-2) was untouchable. He allowed six hits in seven innings of work, striking out 12 – including his 100th strikeout of the season – while walking just one with 118 pitches. He is the first Golden Rams' hurler to strike out 100 batters in a single season. Freshman
Kyle Lazer (Havertown, Pa./Msgr. Bonner & Prendie) picked up his fourth save by throwing the eighth and ninth. He allowed one hit and struck out two.
"Fausnaught pitched incredible," WCU head coach
Mike LaRosa said. "We've all been in this game long enough to know that pitching and defense wins championships. When you can neutralize an offense like Slippery Rock's, and allow them to score just one run, that's pretty impressive."
West Chester didn't get a hit after the third inning. But, it didn't matter because Fausnaught and Slippery Rock right-hander Ricky Mineo (6-4) were locked in a vintage pitcher's duel. Mineo lasted seven innings, scattering three hits and allowing two runs while walking four and striking out four.
The NCAA Tournament victory was the first for the Golden Rams at Serpico Stadium since 1985 and first playoff triumph for LaRosa at his alma mater.
