CARY, NC – Junior transfer
Casey Vaughan (Springfield, Pa./Springfield) singled in the game-winning run with a base hit to right field with nobody out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth Friday morning sending No. 18 West Chester to a thrilling 3-2 victory over Gannon in its first game at the USA Baseball National Training Center in Cary, N.C. this weekend.
West Chester (4-0) remained perfect on the year with a one-run rally in the eighth to tie the game, and then Vaughan's heroics in the ninth to walk it off against Gannon (0-5). Both RBIs in the final two frames were delivered courtesy of Vaughan's bat. The newcomer was inserted into the lineup in the eighth when West Chester third baseman
Drew Simpson (Hockessin, Del./Delaware Military Academy) (1-0) came on to pitch.
Evan Profy (Croydon, Pa./Harry S. Truman) led off the eighth getting hit in the back by a pitch. When Gannon's pitcher then spun wildly and threw the ball away trying to pick off Profy, the Golden Rams' senior raced around to third. That put the game-tying run 90 feet away with nobody out
. Then,
Joe Kaleck (Southampton, Pa./Neshaminy) drew a walk on four pitches nowhere near the strike zone. Vaughan came to the plate and laid down a beautiful safety squeeze bunt that scored Profy as Gannon's pitcher tried unsuccessfully to get the out at the plate. West Chester left runners on second and third with less than two outs, and the game went to the ninth knotted at 2-2.
Simpson had little trouble in the top half, inducing a pair of ground ball outs, before picking up two strike outs when a dropped third strike allowed the third hitter of the inning to reach base.
Gaetan Grandelli (Philadelphia, Pa./Roman Catholic) pinch hit to lead off the ninth and drew a walk.
John Dunion (Wilmington, Del./Salesianum) came on to run for him. Profy followed with a single and Kaleck again was pitched around with runners in scoring position to load the bases. That's when Vaughan's single to right made everything groovy.
West Chester starting pitcher,
Julian Costa (Mantua, N.J./Clearview) and Gannon starter Kieran Versaw-Barnes were locked in a pitcher's duel for the ages through six innings. Both turned in outstanding efforts with Costa allowing just three hits while striking out eight, and Versaw-Barnes yielding one run on five hits while walking two and striking out six.
Darius Troche (Shillington, Pa./Gov. Mifflin) singled home
Anthony Boccio (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville) in the fifth for the first run of the game. The rest of the scoring came late when both teams were into their bullpens.
Boccio finished the day 2-for-3. He was the only Golden Rams player with two hits. Gannon's Jared Bielanin was the only Golden Knights player with two hits. His two-run single in the eighth was how Gannon claimed its only lead of the contest.
Simpson threw the eighth and ninth for the win on the mound. He struck out two batters. Gannon's Carson Whiteman (0-1) was collared with the loss. He threw part of the eighth and ninth.
Once again, West Chester's pitching showed off its aggressive approach. Three Golden Rams' pitchers struck out 10 batters without surrendering a walk.
West Chester now gets ready for Concord University on Saturday at 1 p.m.
