KUTZTOWN, PA – West Chester split a conference doubleheader at Kutztown on Monday afternoon, taking game one easily by a 17-6 margin, before dropping a disappointing 9-8 decision in the nightcap.
West Chester (10-1, 3-1 PSAC East) saw its 10-game win streak to open the season come to a close in game two, but still managed to take the four-game season series from Kutztown (4-11, 1-3) in the process.
In the opener, West Chester, which came into the contest with six home runs as a team, hit five homers with the help of the wind blowing out to left.
Sean Szestowicki (Mount Royal, N.J./Kingsway Regional) hit two homers and knocked in three runs.
John DeMucci (Swarthmore, Pa./Msgr. Bonner & Prendie) and
Anthony Boccio (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville) each homered and knocked in three runs as well.
Casey Vaughan (Springfield, Pa./Springfield) also hit his first home run of the season.
West Chester got out on Kutztown early with a six-run first. Boccio and Szestowicki each hit two-run homers to highlight the frame.
Joe Kaleck (Southampton, Pa./Neshaminy) doubled home
Evan Profy (Croydon, Pa./Harry S. Truman) who was hit by a pitch to lead off the game. Kutztown got one back in its half and then added another in the third to make it 6-2.
The Golden Rams tacked on two more in the fourth, but the Golden Bears answered back with two in the fifth to make it 8-4. That's when West Chester put the game out of reach with five in the sixth and four in the seventh to open up a 17-4 advantage. Kutztown hit a two-run homer in the seventh, but that was all they could muster in a comeback bid.
Drew Simpson (Hockessin, Del./Delaware Military) started game one and threw the first five innings, allowing four runs on seven hits. He walked two and struck out eight to pick up his third win of the season without a loss.
Luke Vaks (Mays Landing, N.J./Cedar Creek) relieved him and went one inning, striking out two batters.
Gannon Kadlecik (McKees Rock, Pa./Montour) threw the seventh.
Darius Troche (Shillington, Pa./Gov. Mifflin) finished game one 3-for-5 with a pair of RBI.
Avery Spencer (Pottsgrove, Pa./Pottsgrove) was also 3-for-5 with a double and three runs scored.
In the nightcap, West Chester raced out to another big lead, going up by eight after 2 ½ innings. However, Kutztown chipped away the rest of the game and erased that 8-0 lead to take a 9-8 decision.
The Golden Rams put up three in the second and five more in the third. Spencer scored on a balk in the second, before Troche singled in a run and later scored on a fielder's choice. Vaughan then walked with the bases loaded in the third, and Troche doubled in two. Szestowicki hit a sacrifice fly, and
Zach Miles (Hatfield, Pa./North Penn) singled in the fifth run of the frame to give West Chester that 8-0 advantage.
Kutztown countered with two of its own in the bottom half of the third, and then did the majority of its damage in the fourth with a four-spot that made it an 8-6 ballgame. The Golden Bears added one in the fifth and two more in the sixth to eventually take the lead.
Troche finished the doubleheader 5-for-8 with five RBI and three runs scored. Kaleck stole a base in game one that moved him into a tie with Mike Blank (1985-88) for the most career steals in school history at 70. The 10-game win streak to open a season at West Chester is the fourth-longest in school history.
West Chester will face Shippensburg in a four-game series this coming weekend. The first two games of that series are slated for Serpico Stadium on Friday at 1 p.m.
