West Chester University baseball (12-3, 4-0 PSAC) was able to go a perfect 5-0 in a busy week of play and continue their hot start to the season. Due in part to timely hitting and an offensive explosion, the Rams were able to notch at least four runs in all their victories, a feat the baseball team has been able to accomplish in all but one game this season.
In their first game of the week, West Chester was able to overcome a late comeback from Philadelphia University (2-11) and rally for four runs in the 10th inning to come away with a 10-6 victory in the Bill Giles Tournament.
With multiple runs being scored in the third and forth innings, the Rams jumped out to an early 5-0 lead, only for them to score one more run the remainder of the initial nine innings and let Philadelphia University back into the game and force extra innings with a 6-6 tie. DH Shane Dressler was able to break open the tie with two outs in the 10th frame with a ground rule double that scored a runner from second base. West Chester was able to tack on three additional runs for the 10-6 victory.
The Golden Rams opened up their PSAC regular season with consecutive days of home double headers against the East Stroudsburg University Warriors on Friday and Saturday afternoon. The Rams were able to come away from the four games with four wins and a perfect PSAC and home record to begin the season.
With a double header originally scheduled to be played at the East Stroudsburg campus, Friday’s double header was moved to West Chester due to poor playing condition in which the Ram’s batted second for both games in the visitor’s slot.
In game one of Friday’s double header, the Rams were able to outlast the Warriors (10-10, 0-4 PSAC) with the help of a solo home run from outfielder Drew Jarmuz in the top half of the ninth inning and a single from Kyle Irwin that plated an additional run for the purple and gold and stretch the lead to 4-2. Right-handed senior Josh McClain (3-0) was able to come on in the middle of the 8th inning and pitch 1 & 2/3rd innings and only surrender one run to hold on for the win for West Chester.
In the second game of the double header, West Chester fell behind by one run in the second inning, only to answer back with two runs in the next inning and add an additional two runs in the seventh to come away with the 4-1 victory. Catcher Corey Webb led the way for the Ram’s going 2-4 with a double, and RBI, a run scored, and he began the scoring for the purple and gold with his RBI single in the third. SS Nick Ward and DH Shane Dressler added an RBI apiece to the West Chester winning score line.
To begin Saturday’s double header against East Stroudsburg, multiple run innings in the fifth and sixth proved enough for the Rams, as they were able to win their fourth consecutive game with a 6-3 victory. The four runs scored in the sixth inning proved to be the deciding factor in the game, with all the runs scored in the frame coming off five hits and with help from the opponents only two errors of the game.
Six different Rams were able to record an RBI, with eight hits from West Chester in the game. McClain was able to come in and pitch an inning and a third to pick up the win for West Chester, while only surrendering one run on two hits.
In the night cap of the Saturday’s double header, West Chester jumped out to a first inning four run lead and never looked back, finishing the game with a 12-2 victory. The purple and gold were propelled to the win in part from a four RBI night from outfielder Jarmuz and a dominant performance on the bump from senior right-handed pitcher Andrew Gernert (2-0).
While appearing earlier in the week during the Philadelphia University game, surrendering three earned runs and entering the game with a 7.71 ERA, Gernert pitched six strong innings for the Rams, striking out eight and giving up only two runs, only one of which was earned. Gernert attributed his first strong start of the season to “ …good command of all of my pitches. Being able to attack the strike zone with three pitches really makes my job as a pitcher easier.”
WCU will continue their season with an out of conference contest against Wilmington University on Tuesday, and they will be back in West Chester next Saturday for a double header against PSAC foe Shippensburg.
Maxwell Randolph can be reached at MR829829@wcupa.edu.