KUTZTOWN, Pa.- After splitting with East Stroudsburg to open league play last weekend, the No. 14/19 West Chester University baseball team (22-5, 6-2) completed a four-game sweep of Kutztown (8-18, 2-6) on Saturday with a 12-2 win in game one and a 9-7 win in the nightcap.
Game One: No. 14/19 WCU 12 Kutztown 2
WP: Kyle Lazer (6-0)
LP: Kannon Zdimal (1-4)
Kyle Lazer (Havertown, Pa./Msgr. Bonner & Prendie) was dominant once again, turning in a five-inning gem, which saw him allow just one hit while striking out seven to improve to 6-0 on the season.
West Chester jumped out to an early 5-0 lead after the second inning when
Caleb Strawhecker (West Grove, Pa./Avon Grove), Austin Stalker (Wycombe, Pa./Council Rock North), and Shane Adamski (Deptford, N.J./Deptford) all picked up RBI doubles, while
Anthony Boccio (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville) singled through the right side to drive in the final run of the frame.
In the fourth, Boccio picked up an RBI double of his own and scored on an RBI single by
Ben Bolhouse (Chadds Ford, Pa./Kennett) before
Casey Vaughan (Springfield, Pa./Springfield) and Stalker recorded RBI doubles of their own to stretch the lead to 11-0.
Vaughan drove in the Golden Rams' final run of the game in the fifth inning with a sac fly to center, which scored Boccio for his second run of the afternoon.
Kutztown scored its lone two runs of the game off
Gannon Kadlecik (McKees Rocks, Pa./Montour) before
Ben Jones (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville) worked a scoreless seventh to finish off the 12-run victory.
Kannon Zdimal suffered the loss for Kutztown, his fourth of the year, allowing nine runs on 11 hits with one walk and one strikeout.
Game Two: No. 14/19 WCU 9 Kutztown 7
WP: Jesse Specter (1-0)
LP: Eddie Frye (1-2)
S: Patrick Taney (1)
Darius Troche (Shillington, Pa./Governor Mifflin) gave West Chester an early 2-0 lead with a two-RBI double down the left field line before a
Jake Welsch (Glenmoore, Pa./Downingtown West) scored Stalker later in the inning to give West Chester a 3-0 lead.
Kutztown tied the game at 3-3 in the third with a bases-loaded walk and a two-RBI single before another RBI single in the fourth gave the Golden Bears their first lead of the day at 4-3.
West Chester responded in a big way in the fifth, tying the game off a Stalker single before taking the lead on a hit-by-pitch of
Avery Spencer (Pottsgrove, Pa./Pottsgrove) followed by a two-RBI double by Vaughan and a two-RBI triple by Stalker.
Kutztown scored three runs in the sixth inning against the Golden Ram bullpen, but this was as close as the Golden Bears could come to knocking off the 14
th-ranked Golden Rams.
Ryan DeHaven (Perkasie, Pa./Pennridge) got the starting nod and allowed three runs on four hits and four walks, striking out three in 2.2 innings.
Jesse Specter (Moorestown, N.J./Moorestown) entered in relief and earned his first win of the year with 2.1 strong innings of work, during which he allowed just one unearned run on one hit and a walk while striking out three.
Danny Carr (Paoli, Pa./Great Valley) and
Patrick Taney (
Cherry Hill, N.J./Cherry Hill West) both pitched scoreless innings in relief as Taney struck out one to earn his first save of the year.
Eddie Frye took the loss for Kutztown, allowing five runs on three hits and four walks in one inning of relief of Paul Morestki, who pitched the first five innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits and three walks.
Up Next
West Chester will be back in action on Wednesday afternoon at Molloy before opening it next conference series at Shippensburg on Friday afternoon.
