WEST CHESTER, PA – Three West Chester pitchers combined to hold down Shippensburg en route to a doubleheader sweep at Serpico Stadium in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division opener on a windy and cool Thursday afternoon.
West Chester (10-3, 2-0 PSAC East) rode the right arm of
Joe Sperone (Broomall, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara) to a three-hit win in the first game, 7-1. He allowed a solo home run to the Raiders' Austin Baal, his seventh of the season, in the fourth inning. But, that was it. Sperone (3-0) struck out six and walked only one to get the complete-game win.
In the nightcap, big right-hander
David Ferguson (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown East), tossed eight shutout frames, scattering five hits while striking out six of his own and walking just one to lead the Golden Rams to a 6-1 victory.
Gabe Rappa (Paulsboro, N.J./Neumann-Goretti [Pa.]) allowed one run in the ninth and struck out one more in relief of Fergusonh.
All told, West Chester's trio held Shippensburg (12-7, 0-2) to two runs on eight hits and struck out 13 Raiders batters in 16 inning during the conference sweep.
The hosts jumped out to an early lead in the opener with a four-run second.
Evan Profy (Croydon, Pa./Harry S. Truman) singled in two runs, and then stole a base that led to a throwing error by the visitor's catcher that allowed
Sean Szestowicki (Mount Royal, N.J./Kingsway Regional) to score from third.
Joe Kaleck (Southampton, Pa./Neshaminy) then singled home Profy to account for the four runs.
West Chester put up a three-spot in the sixth for insurance following Baal's home run in the fourth.
John DeMucci (Swarthmore, Pa./Msgr. Bonner & Prendie) scored on a, Justin Byler, wild pitch and Szestowicki hit a two-run, inside-the-park home run when Shippensburg's left-fielder slammed into the wall trying to make a catch and injured himself. Thankfully, Byler was not seriously hurt and did remain in the game after being looked at by West Chester's athletic training staff.
DeMucci finished game one 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored. He was the only hitter to post a multi-hit game. West Chester scored its seven runs on just six hits.
In the second game, the Golden Rams scored a run in the first and again in the third, before a four-run fourth busting things open.
J.R. Gifford (Doylestown, Pa./Archbishop Wood) hit a one-out single in the first that plated Profy, who led off the game with a walk. Later in the third with runners at the corners, Kaleck scored from third when Shippensburg picked off
Luke Cantwell (Broomall, Pa./Marple Newtown) at first.
Shippensburg reliever, Ethan Miller, came on for reigning PSAC East pitcher of the week, Gabe Stotler, in the fourth. However, he suffered through a rough first inning of work. He settled down after that and threw three more scoreless frames, but the damage was done.
Szestowicki walked with the bases loaded, forcing home a run, Profy doubled in two more and West Chester got its fourth run on a balk.
Profy went 2-for-4 with two more RBI. He was 3-for-7 with four RBI in the twinbill. Gifford was 2-for-4 with a RBI in the second game as well.
The Golden Rams faced two Shippensburg pitchers, who entered each game unbeaten, and sent them to their first defeats. J.T. Weaver (4-1) took the loss in the opener while Stotler (3-1) was collared with the loss in the nightcap.
West Chester and Shippensburg are scheduled to finish their three-game conference series Friday afternoon at Shippensburg's Fairchild Field with first pitch at 2 p.m.
