EAST STROUDSBURG, PA –
Joe Sperone (Broomall, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara) kept 14th-ranked East Stroudsburg at bay in the opener, but the host Warriors rebounded with a win in the nightcap to split a conference doubleheader with visiting West Chester Saturday at Creekview Park.
West Chester (25-13, 11-7 PSAC East) took the season series from East Stroudsburg (31-9, 12-6) in the process. The Golden Rams downed the Warriors, 3-2, in game one while dropping game two, 11-4.
Fifth-year senior OF
Corey Stouffer (Souderton, Pa./North Penn) led off the top of the fifth inning with a solo home run to right field that tied the game at 1-1. To that point, West Chester had managed just two hits off ESU starter Tom Reisinger and had struck out seven times. But, Stouffer's blast opened things up for the guests, and the Golden Rams added another run later in the frame to take a 2-1 lead.
Zack Miles (Hatfield, Pa./North Penn) drew a one-out walk, but was erased on a fielder's choice from
Evan Profy (Croydon, Pa./Harry S. Truman). Profy then stole second and beat the throw home when
Joe Kaleck (Southampton, Pa./Neshaminy) singled through the left side.
West Chester tacked on another in the top of the seventh that proved to be crucial when Stouffer again started the rally. He singled into the hole at short and was sacrificed over to second. Miles then singled to right, and Stouffer scored making it 3-1 Rams.
Sperone (6-2), who had started the game, went out for the seventh inning to try and complete the contest. He got the first two outs of the inning, but the Warriors did push across a run and had runners on first and second when WCU head coach
Mike LaRosa called on
David Ferguson (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown East) to get the final out for his fourth save of the season.
Stouffer finished game one 2-for-3 with a home run and a pair of runs scored. Sperone's line read: two runs allowed on six hits, two walks and two strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings.
ESU's Reisinger (4-2) suffered the loss. He lasted five innings, allowing two runs on four hits. He walked two and struck out nine. Nick McAuliffe came on and threw 1.1 innings, allowing one run on two hits. He walked one and struck out two more. Jaden Newton threw two-thirds and struck out a batter. Three ESU pitchers combined to strike out 12 West Chester batters.
West Chester jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the third inning of game two.
Luke Cantwell (Broomall, Pa./Marple Newtown) hit a bases-clearing double, and
Julian Costa (Mantua, N.J./Clearview) then singled up the middle plating Cantwell with the fourth run.
However, ESU's Matt Ervolina tied the game in the bottom half of the fourth with a grand slam, and East Stroudsburg added two in the fourth, three in the fifth and two more in the sixth to salvage the third and final game of the weekend series. Ervolina's second home run of the game in the sixth accounted for the Warriors' two runs. He finished the game with six of the team's 11 RBI.
West Chester travels to No. 8 Millersville on Friday before hosting the Marauders in a doubleheader at Serpico Stadium on Saturday. That twinbill will serve as both Alumni Day and Senior Day for the Golden Rams' baseball program. First pitch on Saturday is scheduled for 12 p.m.
