SHIPPENSBURG, PA –
Mike Ferrara (Jamison, Pa./Archbishop Wood) hit two home runs, and
Gabe Rappa (Philadelphia, Pa./Germantown Academy) tossed seven strong innings, as No. 16 West Chester topped homestanding Shippensburg, 10-3, in the final game of the regular season at Fairchild Field Sunday afternoon.
West Chester (29-10, 17-7 PSAC East) won the season series from Shippensburg (26-22, 16-8) with the win and finished in second place in the Eastern Division to Millersville, which defeated Mansfield, 12-5, Sunday to clinch the division title.
The Golden Rams open the 2022 PSAC Tournament on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. in Slippery Rock, Pa. The entire tournament will be played at Slippery Rock's home baseball field. West Chester's opponent will be determined when all regular season games in the PSAC are completed.
Justin Horn (Willow Grove, Pa./Upper Dublin) hit a sacrifice fly in the top of the first to put the Golden Rams on top.
Mike Ferrara (Jamison, Pa./Archbishop Wood) followed with a home run down the third base line on the very next pitch that doubled the lead to 2-0.
Zack Wright (Columbus, N.J./No. Burlington Co. Regional) singled in a run in third to increase the visitor's lead to 3-0. Wright later scored on a pair of errors in the fourth, before Ferrara was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to make it 5-1. Shippensburg had pushed across one run in the third to get on the board.
Ferrara hit his second home run of the day in the sixth, a two-run shot to right-center, and
Luke Cantwell (Broomall, Pa./Marple Newtown) followed with a solo shot to dead center for a three-run inning that gave the Golden Rams an 8-1 advantage.
Rappa went seven innings, allowing one run on five hits to improve to 6-1. He struck out two and did not walk a batter.
Evan Snyder (Cheyney, Pa./Rustin) and
Colin Kennedy (Hatboro, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham) each tossed an inning in relief.
Ferrara finished 3-for-5 with three RBI in the win. Wright was 3-for-5 with a pair of runs scored and a pair of RBI.
