SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV –
Luke Cantwell (Broomall, Pa./Marple Newtown) put an exclamation point on a game two comeback with a three-run home run in the top of the ninth to salvage the nightcap and take the season series.
Shepherd (22-16, 7-11 PSAC East) won the opener, 6-5, while West Chester (22-12, 9-6) took the second game, 12-7. The Golden Rams trailed game two, 7-6, entering the eighth inning, but put six runs on the board in the eighth and ninth combined to pull out the win. It marked the first time all year that West Chester won when trailing after seven innings (1-7).
"I think (winning when trailing after 7) shows that our team is maturing and learning how to play inning-to-inning baseball," West Chester head coach
Mike LaRosa commented afterwards. "Winning this series was huge. We knew it was going to be tough to win at their place with (Shepherd's) offense."
Joe Kaleck (Southampton, Pa./Neshaminy) led off the eighth with a solo shot that tied the game at seven.
John DeMucci (Swarthmore, Pa./Msgr. Bonner & Prendie) then bunt singled and stole second. Cantwell and
J.R. Gifford (Doylestown, Pa./Archbishop Wood) both walked to load the bases, before
Sean Szestowicki (Mount Royal, N.J./Kingsway Regional) hit a sacrifice fly to put West Chester in the lead, 8-7.
With
Jeb Kurtz (Douglassville, Pa./Daniel Boone) keeping Shepherd at bay with 3 1/3 scoreless innings in relief, the Golden Rams bats put up four insurance runs in the ninth. Cantwell's three-run blast certainly highlighted the frame.
Zack Miles (Hatfield, Pa./North Penn) scored on an error following a leadoff walk as well.
"Our bullpen did a great job today – especially Kurtz," LaRosa added. "He threw three scoreless innings against a Shepherd offense that we had struggled to keep quiet for most of the game. Our team is starting to heat up at just the right time, which should make for some exciting baseball down the stretch."
Kaleck finished game two 3-for-6 with three RBI and three runs scored. Cantwell was 3-for-5 with four RBI. DeMucci was 3-for-4 with a RBI and three runs scored as well.
Joe Sperone (Broomall, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara) started and lasted five innings. He surrendered four runs on six hits, walked one and struck out five.
Dylan Howanitz (Archbald, Pa./Valley View) came on in the sixth, but only lasted two-thirds of an inning. Kurtz (1-0) came on and got the Golden Rams out of the sixth. He then stayed in and finished out the game to earn his first win of the season. Kurtz scattered two hits, walked one and struck out three.
In the opener, West Chester jumped out to a 3-1 lead after one inning of play. However, Shepherd put up a pair of runs in the fourth and three more in the fifth to come from behind and take a 6-5 decision.
Kaleck went 1-for-3 with a home run.
Evan Profy (Croydon, Pa./Harry S. Truman) was 3-for-4 with a run and a RBI.
Julian Costa (Mantua, N.J./Clearview) suffered the loss on the mound and fell to 2-1 on the year. He started and lasted five innings, yielding six runs on eight hits. He walked four and struck out eight.
West Chester heads to Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday for the Bill Giles Championship against Jefferson at 3 p.m.
