WEST CHESTER, Pa.- The 19
th-ranked West Chester University baseball team (31-12, 13-9) suffered its first home losses of the season to No. 10 Millersville (33-6, 19-3), dropping both ends of a doubleheader by 10-7 and 8-5 finals.
Today's sweep marked the first time since March 15 of the 2024 season that West Chester found itself on the wrong end of a doubleheader sweep at Serpico Stadium. If the Golden Rams are to avoid their first conference sweep of the season and first since a four-game sweep by Shippensburg last March, the Golden Rams will need to pick up a pair of wins at Millersville tomorrow, beginning at 4 p.m.
Game One: #10 Millersville 10 #19 WCU 7
WP: Connor Blantz (5-1)
LP: Julian Costa (8-2)
Millersville got out to an early 1-0 lead in the first before the Golden Rams tied the game in the second as
Avery Spencer (Pottsgrove, Pa./Pottsgrove) was plunked to bring in a run as the bases were loaded with Golden Rams.
Patrick Gozdan (Warminster, Pa./Archbishop Wood) gave West Chester a 2-1 lead in the fourth with an RBI bunt single down the first base line.
Millersville countered with five runs in the fifth to take a 6-2 lead over West Chester heading into the bottom of the fifth.
The Golden Rams got two runs back in the fifth as
Austin Stalker (Wycombe, Pa./Council Rock North) doubled home
Sean Szestowicki (Mount Royal, N.J./Kingsway), who had doubled earlier in the inning.
Darius Troche (Shillington, Pa./Governor Mifflin) singled home Stalker and cut the deficit to 6-4.
Unfortunately, Millersville countered with three more runs on three hits in the sixth to take a 9-4 lead over the Golden Rams.
Anthony Boccio (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville) cut the deficit to 9-5 in the sixth with an RBI single of his own before Millersville scratched across another run on three hits in the seventh to take a 10-5 lead.
West Chester loaded the bases with no one out in the seventh, which forced a Marauder pitching change in an effort to escape the jam. Gavin Lill entered in relief and got a double play ball on his third pitch to
Jake Welsch (Glenmoore, Pa./Downingtown West), happily trading an out for two runs. Gozdan scampered home on a passed ball to cut the lead to 10-7, but this was as close as the Golden Rams could get as Szestowicki struck out swinging to end the game.
Julian Costa (Mantua, N.J./Clearview) (8-3) suffered the loss, allowing five runs on three hits and five walks while striking out four.
Connor Blantz (5-1) earned the win for Millersville, allowing four runs on six hits and two walks while striking out five as he worked into the fifth.
With the game one setback, West Chester saw its 15-game home winning streak halted as the Golden Rams had been the last team in Division II baseball to be unbeaten at home entering the final week of April.
Game Two Ville 8 WCU 5
WP: Conor Cook (8-1)
LP: Nick Noga (5-3)
Gabe Caso (Califon, N.J./West Morris Central) gave West Chester an early 2-0 lead with a two-run shot in the second inning.
Millersville got a run back in third before Stalker restored a two-run lead with an RBI single to center in the home half of the third.
Millersville erased the deficit and took the lead with one swing in the top of the fourth, using a three-run blast down the left-field line to take a 4-3 lead into the home fourth.
Welsch tied the game at 4-4 in the home half of the fourth with a double down the left field line, which plated Spencer, who had singled to start the inning.
Millersville scored three more runs in the fifth to take a 7-4 lead before a
Caleb Strawhecker (West Grove, Pa./Avon Grove) sac fly cut the Millersville lead to 7-5 heading into the sixth.
Kyle Kearns (West Chester, Pa./Rustin) got the start and pitched the first 2.1 innings, allowing three hits and one unearned run while striking out a pair.
Nick Noga (Avondale, Pa./Avon Grove) (5-3) suffered the loss, allowing six runs (four earned) on five hits and three walks in two innings of work.
Evan Wineburg (Norristown, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) entered in relief and eventually escaped the fifth., finishing the game on the mound and allowing one run on two hits and two walks in his final 2.2 innings of work.
In the seventh, West Chester nearly forced at last extra innings, loading the bases with two outs in the seventh, which forced a pitching change. Gavin Lill entered looking for his fifth save of the campaign, and Strawhecker gave the Marauders a scare with a deep drive to center, but Jeff Sabater reeled it in against the fence to lift the Marauders to the 8-5 victory.
Conor Cook improved to 8-1 on the year in 4.2 innings, allowing five runs on 10 hits while striking out two. Matt Shamany entered in relief and appeared as if he might pick up his second save of the year, pitching two strong innings before loading the bases and exiting in favor of Lill.
Up Next
West Chester will be back in action on Saturday at Millersville in a doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m.
