WEST CHESTER, PA – Julian Costa (Mantua, N.J./Clearview) threw a complete-game, three-hit shutout, and
Luke Cantwell (Broomall, Pa./Marple Newtown) hit a three-run home run in the first inning, to lead West Chester to a 6-0 victory over 14th-ranked East Stroudsburg Friday afternoon.
West Chester (24-12, 10-6 PSAC East) moves within a game of second-place East Stroudsburg (30-8, 11-5) in the Eastern Division standings with two more games between the rivals tomorrow in East Stroudsburg. That doubleheader has been moved up to 11 a.m.
The Golden Rams tagged Warriors ace Chase Nowak for four runs, three of them earned, on seven hits before exiting in the fifth inning trailing 4-0. In four career starts against West Chester, Nowak is 0-1 with three no decisions and a 7.71 earned run average.
Cantwell's fifth home run of the season tied him for the team lead and staked the home team to an early 3-0 lead that gave the Rams all the confidence they needed in a big conference matchup.
West Chester tacked on single tallies in the fourth, sixth and seventh for good measure. But, Costa (3-1) was dealing all day. He walked two and struck out seven, facing four batters over the minimum. East Stroudsburg only had more than one base runner in the same inning once (second inning) and never advanced a runner to third. They were retired in order in six of the nine frames.
Joe Kaleck (Southampton, Pa./Neshaminy) went 3-for-5 at the plate with a stolen base.
John DeMucci (Swarthmore, Pa./Msgr. Bonner & Prendie),
J.R. Gifford (Doylestown, Pa./Archbishop Wood) and
Corey Stouffer (Souderton, Pa./North Penn) each rapped out a pair of hits as well.
Zack Miles (Hatfield, Pa./North Penn) tripled in
David Alleva (Cherry Hill, N.J./Bishop Eustice) in the fourth. Kaleck singled to right to bring home
Evan Profy (Croydon, Pa./Harry S. Truman) from second in the sixth, and Stouffer's single in the seventh plated Cantwell from second.
