WEST CHESTER, PA – Senior
J.R. Gifford (Doylestown, Pa./Archbishop Wood) knocked in five runs and scored four of his own to help host West Chester to a 19-8 victory over visiting Shepherd at Serpico Stadium Friday afternoon.
West Chester (21-11, 8-5 PSAC East) got back on track at the plate, scoring 19 runs on 18 hits. Shepherd (21-15, 6-10) has now dropped four of its last six.
After tying the game at 1-1 with a tally in the bottom of the second, West Chester proceeded to put the game out of reach with four runs in the fourth and three runs in each of the fifth, sixth and seventh that was emphasized with a five-run eighth. Shepherd briefly made a run at the Golden Rams with a six-spot in the sixth that made it an 8-7 ballgame. But the Rams' bullpen could not stop the bleeding.
Gifford's three-run home run, his fifth of the season, in the bottom half of the sixth, took the wind out of Shepherd's sails. It pushed the home team's lead back to four (11-7). The Rams answered with one in the seventh. But, again, West Chester stormed back with another three-run rally that made it 14-8.
Just like the middle innings were the spark for the Golden Rams, the middle of head coach
Mike LaRosa's batting order was just as explosive. The three, four, five and six hitters combined to go 9-for-17 with 13 runs scored and six runs batted in. Gifford led the way with a 2-for-4 day at the plate, adding a double to his sixth-inning homer.
Luke Cantwell (Broomall, Pa./Marple Newtown) went 2-for-3 with a home run and four runs scored.
Julian Costa (Mantua, N.J./Clearview) went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles and four runs scored as well.
John DeMucci (Swarthmore, Pa./Msgr. Bonner & Prendie) was 2-for-5 with a run scored.
Sophomore right-hander,
David Ferguson (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown East) improved to 5-2 in his eighth start of the season. He ran into trouble in the sixth, but exited with West Chester still on top. He allowed seven runs on eight hits, walked two and struck out four.
Dylan Howanitz (Archbald, Pa./Valley View) got the Golden Rams out of the disastrous sixth with the hosts clinging to a one-run lead (8-7). He pitched the seventh, before turning things over to
Joe Sperone (Broomall, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara) and
Evan Snyder (Cheyney, Pa./Bayard Rustin), who threw the eighth and ninth, respectively. West Chester's five pitchers yielded 13 hits, walked five and hit one batter.
Six Shepherd pitchers allowed 18 hits, walked nine and hit three batters. Starter Trevor Sharp (3-3) lasted four innings and suffered the loss on the hill.
Shepherd's cleanup hitter, Sam Daggers, was 2-for-3 with his sixth home run of the season in the sixth inning.
West Chester and Shepherd will be back at it again on Sunday with a conference doubleheader at Fairfax Field in Shepherdstown, WV. First pitch for game one is at 12 p.m.
