FAIRFAX, Va.- The No. 9/12 West Chester University baseball team (1-1) got its spring season underway on Saturday afternoon at Patriot Park in Virginia against 2024 NCAA Tournament foe Charleston (W.V.) (1-1). West Chester took game one of the year's first doubleheader by a 12-2 final before dropping the nightcap by a 4-3 final.
Game One: WCU 12 Charleston 2
W: Julian Costa (1-0) L: Mason Behn (0-1)
Julian Costa (Mantua, N.J./Clearview) (1-0) started his season with a win as he pitched five strong innings, scattering two runs (one earned) on five hits while striking out six.
Evan Wineburg (Norristown, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) finished the game for the Golden Rams with two strong innings in relief, allowing just two hits while striking out a pair.
Mason Behn suffered the opening day loss for Charleston, allowing seven runs (four earned) on seven hits with just one strikeout in 2.1 innings of work as one of four pitchers the Golden Eagles used in the opener.
West Chester scored its 12 runs on 10 hits, including a three-run home run from newcomer
Austin Stalker (Wycombe, Pa./Council Rock North) in the fifth inning, which put the game fully out of reach.
West Chester leaped out to an early lead with two doubles in the first three batters as
Avery Spencer (Pottsgrove, Pa./Pottsgrove) doubled home
Jake Welsch (Glenmoore, Pa./Downingtown West) to start the scoring before later scoring along with Stalker on an RBI triple by
Casey Vaughan (Springfield, Pa./Springfield).
Charleston got one run back in the top of the second before West Chester scored five more in the third, including an RBI double by Stalker, which preceded a host of defensive miscues by the Golden Eagles defense, including a balk and a pair of hit-by-pitches.
Darius Troche (Shillington, Pa./Governor Mifflin) also picked up an RBI with a single in the fourth, which scored freshman
Caleb Strawhecker (West Grove, Pa./Avon Grove), who made his collegiate debut in the victory.
Game Two: Charleston 4 WCU 3
W: Austin Perado (1-0) L: Nick Noga (0-1) S: Scott Templeton (1)
In the nightcap, Charleston capitalized on a Golden Ram error in the first inning to eventually score two runs and carry a 2-0 lead into the home half of the first.
Sean Szestowicki (Mount Royal, N.J./Kingsway) used his speed to scamper home on a wild pitch in the home half, which cut the deficit to 2-1 early.
The Golden Eagles scored the subsequent two runs from this point, including a solo home run in the top of the fifth, which stretched the lead to 4-1 and eventually led to the end of the day for
Nick Noga (Avondale, Pa./Avon Grove) (0-1) who suffered the opening day loss. Noga finished with a final line of four runs allowed (two earned) on seven hits with one walk and three strikeouts.
Ben Jones (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville) entered in relief of Noga, escaped the fifth, and pitched a scoreless 2.2, allowing just two hits and two walks while striking out three in his 2025 debut.
Austin Perado earned the victory for Charleston with four solid innings in which he allowed just one run on one hit before exiting in favor of Campbell Spradling.
Spradling worked only the fifth inning, allowing two runs (one earned) on one hit and two walks as West Chester manufactured a pair of runs via aggressive base running throughout the afternoon, which cut the deficit to 4-3.
Scott Templeton slammed the door for Charleston, pitching a perfect final two innings to pick up his first save of the season and help lead the Golden Eagles to a narrow 4-3 victory over the nationally-ranked Golden Rams.
Up Next:
West Chester is back in action tomorrow against Charleston in another doubleheader beginning at noon.
