West Chester vs Molloy
Game Details: Tuesday, March 18 I 3 P.M.
Location: Serpico Stadium (West Chester, Pa.)
Coverage Links: Live Stats I Video
Series: 5-0
WCU Links: NEWS I ROSTER I SCHEDULE I STATS
Molloy Links: NEWS I ROSTER I SCHEDULE I STATS
Last Time Out
After a pair of 15-2 and 11-0 victories on Friday, West Chester completed a weekend sweep of Queens (N.Y.) in thrilling fashion on Saturday as the Golden Rams rolled to a 6-1 victory in the first game of the day before erasing a three-run deficit with one out in the seventh to earn a 4-3 walk-off win over the visiting Knights. Sean Szestowicki (Mount Royal, N.J./Kingsway) and Ben Bolhouse (Chadds Ford, Pa./Kennett) tied for the team lead in batting average over the five games last week at .462 (6-for-13). Szestowicki scored five runs, which was third best on the team, trailing only Anthony Boccio (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville), who scored eight, along with six each from Jake Welsch (Glenmoore, Pa./Downingtown West), and Casey Vaughan (Springfield, Pa./Springfield). Bolhouse tied for the team lead in RBI with eight, thanks in part to a bases-clearing triple in the game one victory on Saturday. Avery Spencer (Pottsgrove, Pa./Pottsgrove) was third on the team in batting average at .444 (8-for-18) a week ago while driving in eight runs and scoring five more.
On the mound, Nick Noga (Avondale, Pa./Avon Grove) turned in the best performance of the staff over the week, twirling a complete-game shutout, which saw him allow just two hits and a walk while striking out five in the 11-0 victory on Friday. Noga carried a one-hit shutout until there were two outs in the seventh inning before he finally allowed his second hit and first walk of the game. The junior righty worked out of this quickly and captured his first victory of the young season. Kyle Lazer (Havertown, Pa./Msgr. Bonner & Prendie) and Julian Costa (Mantua, N.J./Clearview) also improved to 4-0 over the weekend with a pair of excellent outings as they went five and six innings, respectively. On Friday, Costa allowed two runs on five hits and a walk while striking out five in six innings of work. On Saturday, Lazer turned in five solid innings, allowing just one run on three hits and four walks while striking out four. Ben Jones (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville) also picked up his first win of the year in relief on Saturday as he entered in the fifth inning and pitched 2.1 scoreless innings, allowing just two hits, while striking out a pair to help West Chester storm back. Ryan DeHaven (Perkasie, Pa./Pennridge) also picked up a victory last week, turning in a six-inning gem against Wilmington on Wednesday, which saw him allow just four hits and a walk while striking out five for his second win of the season, which also lowered his ERA to 3.86.
Flock Talk
Szestowicki and Bolhouse are first and second on the team in batting average at .414 and .413 on the year, with OPSs north of 1.000 (1.117 and 1.077), respectively. Bolhouse leads the team in RBI with 20, thanks in part to a pair of triples last week, while Szestowicki is second in runs and RBI with 16, each with seven extra-base hits, including four doubles, two triples and one home run. Vaughan, who is batting .316 as one of seven Golden Rams north of .300, is first on the team in runs 22 on the season, along with a team-best five doubles.
Lazer and Costa are both 4-0 on the year, with ERAs of 0.82 and 1.44 and opponent batting averages of .211 and .153, respectively. Danny Carr (Paoli, Pa./Great Valley), who finished off the game-one victory on Friday, has pitched three innings in relief in three appearances and has allowed just two hits and one unearned run in those appearances. Patrick Taney (Cherry Hill, N.J./Cherry Hill West) also remains scoreless on the mound in his seven innings of work out of the bullpen, scattering three hits and 10 walks while striking out nine as opponents bat just .143 against him.
Rank and File
West Chester rose to seventh in the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) and 10th in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) polls last week. New polls will be released on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, respectively.
For its part, Molloy (9-6) was ranked as high as 19th in the NCBA poll earlier this season and 22nd in the ABCA poll but has since dropped down to receiving votes in both polls entering this week.
Home Cooking
West Chester is a quick 5-0 at home to open the season after defeating Wilmington and sweeping a four-game set from Queens (N.Y.) over the weekend. West Chester outscored its guests 45-7 at home last week, including a 27-1 advantage from the fifth through the seventh inning.
Power Surge
After its four-game sweep over the weekend, West Chester has now outscored teams 153-51, including a 17-11 advantage in the games played in Cary, North Carolina, earlier this season and a 45-7 advantage in its first home games of the year last week.
It’s Time
Tuesday is the Golden Ram's last non-league game before jumping into PSAC East play against PSAC Championship game foe East Stroudsburg on Friday afternoon with an important doubleheader at Serpico Stadium. The Golden Rams will step out of conference play a few more times as the spring continues, including a Monday, March 24 matchup vs Jefferson that will serve as the opening round game of the Bill Giles Classic.
It’s an Honor
Following his complete-game victory, Noga became the latest Golden Ram to earn PSAC East Pitcher of the Week honors as he follows Costa and Lazer who were honored each of the previous two weeks.
Series History
West Chester is 5-0 against Molloy since the series began in 2001. West Chester has outscored the Lions 52-17 in five meetings, although the two sides have not met since February 2009 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Scouting Molloy
Molloy enters play on Tuesday as the Lions continue a busy stretch of baseball, which saw them begin last week in Boca Raton, Florida, with a 12-5 victory over Bentley on the final day of the Lynn Invitational before winning two of three vs Franklin Pierce over the course of Saturday and Sunday at home. Molloy dropped the series opened to FPU by a 4-1 final on Saturday before bouncing back with a 5-0 victory in the nightcap and a 7-2 victory in a single game on Sunday afternoon.
James Sill was dominant in the nightcap on Saturday, pitching seven shutout innings, allowing just four hits and one walk while striking out nine. Aidan Larkin was 3-for-4 at the plate with a run scored and an RBI, while Charlie Imhof was 2-for-4 with a run and a pair of RBI. On Sunday, JC Kiss earned his second win of the year in relief of Ryan Hynes, as Kiss tossed 2.1 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and two walks while striking out a pair. Hynes suffered a tough no-decision in this one as he pitched 6.2 innings, allowing two runs on five hits and three walks while striking out eight, but it was a four-run seventh, which broke open a 2-2 tie after FPU had evened the score in the top of the seventh. Patrick Sanchez was 4-for-4 at the plate with three runs scored in this victory, while Sill, who appeared as a pinch-hitter, led the team in RBI with two after doubling home a pair during the seventh-inning rally.
Larkin leads the team in batting average (.444; 28-for-63) with 14 RBI and 15 runs scored, while Sean Welsh is 22-for-59 (.373) at the plate with a team-best eight extra-base hits, including three home runs for 13 RBI and a team-high 19 runs scored. Sill is 3-0 on the mound in four starts, including his complete-game shutout, while striking out a staff-best 30 and posting a .35 ERA and a .151 opponent batting average. Mike Knapp and JC Kiss are 1-2 and 2-1 on the year with 4.94 and 7.04 ERAs, along with .271 and .290 opponent batting averages in 23.2 and 15.1 innings of work.
