The Quad

Issue date: 3/3/08 Section: Sports

The West Chester University Golden Rams have been off to an incredible start. They defeated a Division I team in a tight contest and swept a talented squad in their home opener, a doubleheader.

In the bitter cold temperature, the Rams had a game cancelled against University of Penn, playing just half our their scheduled double-header. The game was pushed back to late in the afternoon where the players could see their own breath and barely feel their appendages.

Saturday afternoon was no better. Only the most faithful fans gathered for the Golden Rams' first home game as the wind was blowing and the sun was hidden behind clouds.

"Today (Saturday) wasn't that bad relative to yesterday," Coach Mamula said about the weather. "[Saturday] felt like a nice spring day compared to yesterday."

For the Golden Rams, the quick start can be attributed to near perfect pitching; four players on the team have 0.00 ERAs at this point.

"We even have a few guys who haven't toed the rubber yet this season who are going to follow up what we have done," senior pitcher Chris Powl (1-0, 1 save) said about the staff that has been lights out in the early going. "I am really excited so far."

Powl was the starting pitcher in a 3-2 victory in the home opener against UMass-Lowell Saturday morning. He was nothing short of brilliant getting the victory after five innings pitched, allowing just two hits and one earned run.

Powl opened the game in extraordinary fashion needing just seven pitches to retire the side with one strike out. One hit was allowed in that inning to UMass-Lowell freshman infielder Sean Burns on a ball hit barely five feet in front of the plate.

The Rams opened the scoring right after Powl's dominant first inning off a wild James Berry, the senior getting the start for UMass-Lowell's first game of the season. With one out, senior Kyle Bechter drew a walk and Matt Cotellese was hit by a pitch. After Drew Pare laced a ball that was caught by the centerfielder, Charlie Kelly delivered a clutch, two out single that scored Bechter and put the Golden Rams up 1-0 early.

Powl's only misstep came to the first batter in the second inning when Taylor von Kriegenbergh hit a long drive that stayed fair by only a few feet for a solo home run. This was the first home run West Chester pitchers have allowed.

"It helped me put the seed in the back of my head to focus and get the ball down," Powl said about the second inning long ball. "With the way the wind was blowing you never know what can happen. It just helped me refocus."

Continued...

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