WEST CHESTER, Pa.- The No. 8/18 West Chester University baseball team (23-7, 9-5) remained home on Friday afternoon for a doubleheader with Shippensburg (22-11, 9-5) to open a four-game series with the Raiders. West Chester dropped game one by a 17-4 final before battling back in game two and tying the game at 5-5 in the sixth with a
Hunter Smith (Martinsburg, Pa./Central) home run before the Raiders answered with their sixth home run of the doubleheader in the top of the seventh to hold on for a 6-5 victory over the Golden Rams.
Game One: SHIP 17 WCU 4
WP: Conner Barto (7-1)
LP: Julian Costa (6-2)
After a quick first inning with two strikeouts against Costa, Shippensburg scored the first runs of the game in the second with a three-run blast to left center before adding six more in the third to take a 9-0 lead.
West Chester got a pair of runs back in the home third with RBI doubles by
Drew Simpson (Hockessin, Del./DMA) and Smith, which cut the deficit to 9-2.
This was as close as West Chester could get, as Shippensburg countered with two runs of its own in the fourth to take an 11-2 lead.
Landen Rozich (Oxford, Pa./Oxford) drove in the Golden Rams third run with an RBI single into left that cut the deficit to 11-3, but Shippensburg scored three more in the sixth and three in the seventh as the Raiders carried a 17-3 lead into the bottom of the seventh.
West Chester made some noise in the seventh, scoring its fourth run of the game on a strike three wild pitch, which scored Simpson, who had reached with a two-out single to start a late rally for the Golden Rams. West Chester was able to load the bases, which forced the Raiders to turn to their bullpen with two outs in the seventh as Barto's day was finished after a tremendous 6.2 innings of work. Bryce Amos entered and got the final out of the game with a chopper back to the mound to finish off the 13-run victory.
Division II National Pitcher of the Week,
Julian Costa (Mantua, N.J./Clearview) suffered the loss on Friday afternoon, just his second of the season, after allowing nine runs (six earned) on seven hits and a walk, while striking out three in 2.2 innings of work.
Barto was dominant in his seventh win of the year for Shippensburg, allowing just four runs on eight hits and four walks, while striking out five in 6.2 innings.
Game Two: SHIP 6 WCU 5
WP: Jack Robinson (2-0)
LP: Landen Rozich (3-1)
In the nightcap, Shippensburg took an early two-run lead in the first inning on an RBI double and a sac fly before hitting its fifth home run of the doubleheader in the third inning to take a 3-0 lead.
West Chester got a pair of runs back in the home half of the third with a two-RBI single by
Caleb Strawhecker (West Grove, Pa./Avon Grove), which helped West Chester capitalize on a line-drive double to left from
Carter Rust (Liberty Township, Ohio/Lakota West) just three pitches earlier as the Golden Rams cut the deficit to one heading into the fourth.
Luke Raho (Johnstown, Pa./Richland) worked a scoreless fourth before exiting in favor of Rozich, who entered for the top of the fifth.
Raho finished with a final line of three runs on six hits and a strikeout in four innings on 57 pitches.
Rozich got two quick outs in the fifth before a low throw to first from
AJ DiAddezio (Phoenixville, Pa./Pope John Paul II) that
Austin Stalker (Wycombe, Pa./Council Rock North) was nearly able to dig out helped the Raiders score a pair and take a 5-2 lead into the home half of the fifth.
After two outs to start the home fifth, Rust drove a single up the middle to give West Chester a two-out baserunner. Rust stole second and advanced to third on a high throw by the Raiders catcher, but this would not matter as Strawhecker drove an 0-2 pitch deep to left for his fifth home run of the season, which cut the lead to 5-4 heading into the sixth.
Jonah Mayer's day was finished after five innings as he exited in line for his fourth win of the season when Nate Lake entered in relief for the home half of the sixth with a one-run lead. Mayer finished the victory with a final line of four runs on six hits against three strikeouts in five innings of work on 68 pitches.
In the sixth, Smith tied the game with one swing as he hit a long home run that carried over the scoreboard in left field to tie the game at 5-5.
Christian Michak (Kingston, Pa./Wyoming Valley West) followed this with a single ripped through the left side, which led to a pitching change by the Raiders, as Jack Robinson entered in relief of Lake. Robinson got quick outs on just four pitches to end the sixth and send the game to the seventh, even at 5-5.
Starting his third inning of work, Rozich got his first out of the frame on a strikeout before AJ Wenrich blasted the 1-0 offering to left for his second home run of the game to give the Raiders a 1-0 lead. Rozich got his second out via another strikeout before getting runners on the corners with one out, threatening to add an insurance run. Rozich finished the inning the same way he started as he struck Kyle Ausgotharp for his sixth strikeout of the afternoon to keep the deficit at one heading into the home half of the seventh.
Looking for its third walk-off win in as many home PSAC East series,
Tanner Donati (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon) pinch hit for DiAddezio and worked a four-pitch walk before Rust produced a perfect sac bunt, which moved Donati to second with one out in the inning. Looking for his second win of the season, Robinson, who is also Shippensburg's closer with a staff-best six saves on the year, struck out the ever-dangerous Strawhecker on four pitches and got Simpson to pop up to second on the second pitch of his at bat as the Raiders earned a doubleheader sweep over the Golden Rams by a 6-5 final.
Rozich suffered his first loss of the season in relief on Friday, allowing three runs (one earned) on three hits and three walks, while striking out six in three innings of work.
Robinson (2-0) earned the win for Shippensburg in relief of Mayer and Lake with 1.2 scoreless innings, allowing just one walk, while striking out one.
Today's sweep marks the first time the Golden Rams have been swept in West Chester since a pair of losses to Millersville at home last season (4/25) and is just the second time in the last two seasons that West Chester has suffered a sweep at Serpico Stadium.
Up Next:
West Chester will be back in action at Shippensburg tomorrow for the final two games of its weekend series with the Raiders at Fairchild Field beginning at 1 p.m.
