PHILADELPHIA – A sacrifice fly in the sixth, and an unearned run in the seventh, broke a tie game and lifted visting West Chester to an 11-10 non-league baseball victory over Jefferson at Alumni Field Tuesday afternoon.
West Chester (13-6) topped Jefferson (10-10) for the second time in as many weeks.
This time around it was Jefferson that got off to a quick start plating three runs in each of the first two frames to jump out to a 6-1 lead. West Chester did score first in the top of the first inning on a sacrifice fly from
J.R. Gifford (Doylestown, Pa./Archbishop Wood). But, Jefferson's bats chased the Golden Rams starting pitcher,
Nick Noga (Avondale, Pa./Avon Grove), after two as the homestanding Rams built a five-run lead.
WCU reliever
Julian Costa (Mantua, N.J./Clearview) came on and settled things down over the next two frames as the Golden Rams fought back with single runs in both the third and fourth that drew the guests within three, 6-3.
In the top half of the fifth,
Evan Profy (Croydon, Pa./Harry S. Truman) hit a two-run homer, and
Luke Cantwell (Broomall, Pa./Marple Newtown) hit a solo shot, to highlight a six-run inning that put West Chester on top 9-6.
Sean Szestowicki (Mount Royal, N.J./Kingsway Regional) and
Stephen Restuccio (Hammonton, N.J./Hammonton) each hit run-scoring singles. Restuccio picked up a pair of RBI on his base hit.
However, Jefferson was up to the task and plated three more runs in the bottom half of the fifth to knot the game one last time.
John DeMucci (Swarthmore, Pa./Msgr. Bonner & Prendie) hit a sacrifice fly in the sixth to put the Golden Rams back in front.
Joe Kaleck (Southampton, Pa./Neshaminy) hit a RBI single in the seventh that made it a two-run game (11-9).
Jefferson threatened one more time with a run in the bottom of the ninth to make it an 11-10 game. However,
David Ferguson (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown East) shut the door to earn his second save of the season.
Dylan Howanitz (Archbald, Pa./Valley View) came on in relief in the fifth to get the Golden Rams out of that disastrous frame. He threw the sixth inning as well to earn his second win on the hill, improving to 2-0.
The top five spots in West Chester's order were a combined 8-for-20 with eight RBI and seven runs scored. Profy finished the day 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI and three runs. Kaleck was 2-for-5 with a run and a RBI. Cantwell was 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored. DeMucci was 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI and a pair of runs scored.
West Chester is at Mansfield on Friday and then home for a doubleheader with the Mountaineers on Saturday – weather permitting.
