Baseball Sunday, March 21
West Chester University pitcher Jeff Brennan continued his torrid pitching pace in shutting out NJIT 9-0 on Sunday, but the Golden Rams 10-game winning streak came to an end in game two in an 11-9 setback. West Chester lost for just the second time all season in true heartbreaking fashion against the Highlanders on Sunday at Serpico Stadium.
Down 9-4 with two outs in their last at-bat, West Chester rallied for five runs to tie the score and force extra innings.
But NJIT (5-9) posted a pair in the top of the ninth to steal the two-run victory.
Jarad Lydon came off the bench to go two for three with three RBI’s, while Josh Yocum, Erik Ruff and Brett Wallace each smashed two hits. Ruff hit a home run.
Brennan was dominating in the first game, tossing another complete-game victory to go 4-0-1 in 2004. He allowed seven hits, no runs, two walks and struck out one to pick up the victory.
His offensive support in the first game came in the form of a grand slam from Ben White in the third inning. Mike LaRosa, Josh Wagner and Matt Redcay had two hits a piece.
Tuesday, March 23
West Chester used 49 runs covering 10 innings over two games to sweep the Pioneers of Columbia Union 17-0 and 32-0 in a pair of five-inning contests Tuesday afternoon in Takoma Park, MD.
Erik Ruff led WCU’s 17-run attack in the first game by going three for three with two runs scored and two RBI. Ben White drove in four runs on a 2-for-2 day. He also scored twice.
Ryan Gerber improved to 3-0 on the young season by striking out six over just three innings worth of work.
Ruff matched Gerber’s output on the mound in game two by mowing down six batters over three innings. He received a 32-run outburst from the Golden Ram offense that easily provided him with his second win of the year.
Steve Frieze went 3 for 5 in the contest with seven RBI and a grand slam.
Wednesday, March 24
West Chester University head baseball coach Chris Calciano earned his 100th WCU coaching victory on Wednesday as the Golden Rams plucked Philadelphia University 14-10.
West Chester jumped out to an 8-0 lead with an eight-run second inning. Four more runs in the fourth upped the advantage to an insurmountable 12-3 lead.
Kevin Kulick picked up the victory in relief for West Chester. He tossed 4.1 innings, allowed three hits, one run and recorded two strikeouts.
Erik Ruff and Josh Yocum each homered in the game, while Mike LaRosa pounded out a triple. LaRosa finished the day two for five with a run and one RBI.
Ruff (3 for 5, 3 R, 3 RBI) and Jarad Lydon (3 for 3, 2 R, 1 RBI) each laced a trio of base hits. Josh Wagner and Dan Toner roped doubles in the win.
Friday, March 26
Jeff Lamb cranked out a two-run, two-out, walk-off triple in the bottom of seventh to rally West Chester past Millersville 3-2 Friday afternoon at Serpico Stadium.
The victory capped a three-run rally that began with WCU down to its last batter, no runners on base and the Golden Rams trailing 2-0.
But Josh Yocum and pinch hitter Dan Toner each coaxed walks, then Brett Wallace cut the lead in half when he forced pinch runner Chris Talar to third base and scored Yocum from second on an RBI single to deep left-center field.
With runners at first and third and two down, Lamb hit a rocket to deep center field, sending Talar across the plate with the tying run and forcing Wallace around the bases with the game-winner.
Until the seventh, the Golden Rams had managed just two base hits.
In the opener, Jeff Brennan lowered his ERA to an astonishing 0.21 by earning his third straight shutout in a 2-0 victory over Millersville.
Brennan has now tossed 26 straight innings of shutout ball and has permitted just one run in six starts. He is 5-0-1 this year. He struck out four, gave up two hits and walked just two. Jarad Lydon scored on an error at shortstop in the second, while Josh Wagner doubled and scored on Erik Ruff’s single in the third.
Saturday, March 27
Kyle Frees and Erik Ruff made it four straight complete game victories over Millersville University on Saturday afternoon as West Chester swept the season series from the Marauders with a pair of PSAC East victories.
The Golden Rams defeated Millersville in Game One of Saturday’s double-header at Millersville by the score of 5-1, while Ruff blanked MU 4-0 in the second.
The twin victories came 24 hours after West Chester defeated Millersville 2-0 and 3-2 in the PSAC East opener for both clubs on Friday afternoon at WCU’s Serpico Stadium. WCU is now 20-2-1 on the season and it isn’t even April yet. The Golden Rams are 4-0 in the PSAC East.
Lacrosse
Sunday, March 21
Katelyn Martin scored four times and Christine Kane powered in three as West Chester rallied from a 5-3 first-half deficit to chisel Limestone College 11-6 Sunday afternoon in Annapolis, MD.
The victory improved West Chester’s record to 3-0 on the season and was another step for the Golden Rams toward regaining the PSAC Championship and earning a trip to Orlando for the NCAA Division II National Championships.
Martin tallied four times as West Chester’s defense allowed the Golden Rams to outscore the Saints 8-1 following intermission.
Danielle Roy tallied twice, while Kathleen Sheehan had four points on one goal and three assists. Kirstin McGoldrick also tallied a goal and an assist.
Thursday, March 25
Masina Longo scored the game-winning goal 11 seconds into the third overtime period as #2 LIU-C.W. Post edged #4 West Chester 19-18 in triple-overtime Thursday afternoon in Long Island.
West Chester senior Kathleen Sheehan had a banner day by accumulating 10 points on six goals and four assists. She tied the game at 17-17 as time expired off a free position shot, then set up Neilly Oliver with another tying goal in the second overtime period.
The first two three-minute overtime sessions are not sudden-victory in women’s lacrosse.
Kirsten McGoldrick tallied four goals in the game for the Golden Rams, while Caitlin Pettit added five points on three assists and two goals.
Softball
Monday, March 22
The West Chester University softball team split a non-conference doubleheader Monday afternoon with Wilmington (DE) College after winning the nightcap 9-4. WCU dropped the opener 1-0.
In WCU’s 9-4 Game Two victory, Bridget Law went three for four and Leah Conley ripped a three-run homer to complete a 2-for-2 contest. Conley cracked her fifth home run of the season, drove in four runs, walked twice and scored once.
Meghan Borbidge and Megan Fuller had two hits each, while Falan Glynn doubled, scored twice and reached base on a walk.
Adina DeHainaut picked up her second win of the season after permitting just two earned runs and five hits over seven innings.
In the opener, Jackie Ludwig had a terrific afternoon on the mound by allowing just four hits and throwing eight strikeouts.
But a solo home run in the top of the seventh was all Wilmington needed to secure the 1-0 victory.
Ludwig also whacked two of WCU’s five singles in the contest, while Glynn doubled and walked for West Chester.
Friday, March 26
With one swing of her bat, Bridget Law helped West Chester avert a no-hitter and steal a victory at Kutztown on Friday afternoon.
Law slammed the home run after Andrea Pappas led off the in-ning with a walk. Krista Goodman pinch ran for Pappas and promptly stole second.
Jackie Ludwig struck out five and allowed just one hit to earn the victory.
Saturday, March 27
Mansfield University swept a pair of PSAC East Division games from WCU on Satruday defeating the Golden Rams 3-2 in the opener and 6-0 in the second contest.
West Chester is now 7-10 on the season overall and 1-3 in the PSAC East. In the first game, WCU pitcher Jackie Ludwig drove in one of two Golden Ram runs and was dominating until the top of the seventh. It was in that inning when Mansfield squeezed out the game-tying score to force extra innings. WCU managed just two hits in the loss. In the night-cap, Mansfield scored six runs over it and seven at-bats to take a 6-0 victory.
Tennis
Monday, March 22
The University of the Sciences of Philadelphia men’s tennis team defeated the Golden Rams of West Chester for the first time in school history Wednesday afternoon by the score of 7-2.
USP won four singles matches and swept through all three doubles contests, winning the competition.
Amit Ray and Olufemi Ogunkorode defeated Keith McCaffery and Jim Orr of WCU at first doubles 8-3. Ryan Pell and Dan Lewycky took second doubles 8-7 (8-6) from West Chester’s Zach Ryland and Brian Harris, while Dave Sen and Nirav Pandya grabbed third doubles 8-3 over Mike Cohen and Andrew Silverman.
Ray needed three sets to defeat Ryland at second singles (6-3, 4-6, 6-4), Ogunkorode scored a 6-0, 6-4 win over Orr at third and Lewycky defeated Harris 6-4, 6-1 at fourth.
Rounding out the singles win-ners for the Devils was Sen, who defeated Mike Orenshaw 6-2, 7-6 (7-4) at #5 singles.
Thursday, March 25
The Bloomsburg men’s and women’s tennis teams swept West Chester on Friday afternoon by a pair of 9-0 scores. Bloomsburg’s women are now 4-4 overall and 2-0 in the PSAC East, while WCU is 0-7 and 0-1 in the PSAC East.
The Bloomsburg men are 7-5 overall and 2-0 in the PSAC. West Chester is 1-5 overall and 0-1 in the PSAC.
Track and Field
Saturday, March 20
Men’s – Junior sprinter Shawn Colden captured both the 100 meter and 200 meter dash events as West Chester University began the 2004 men’s track & field season with a splash down near the Jersey Shore.
Colden posted a time of 11.15 to take first place in the 100 meter in the Richard Stockton Invitational on Saturday afternoon. The one-day event was hosted by Richard Stockton College in Pomona, NJ.
Colden then won the 200m in a time of 22.54 to give him a pair of victories.
The 400 meter run saw sophomore Kevin Christman wind up second after recording a 53.56, while junior captain Ryan Waltermyer grabbed the 800 meter in 2:00.33. Sophomore Walter Harley finished third in the 800 meter with a 2:02.78.
Junior captain Stephen Wilcher and sophomore James Collins each checked in with solid performances in the throwing events.
Collins was second in the shotput (14.43m/47-4.25) and third in the hammer throw (38.19m/125-3), while he took second in the discus (43.15m/141-7) and third in the javelin (46.70m/153-2).
Women’s – Senior Tanya Novik captured a pair of hurdle events and sophomore Mary Forry won the 3000 meters to help lead the West Chester University women’s track & field team to a solid opening day at the Richard Stockton Invitational in Pomona, NJ.
The one-day event was hosted by Division III Richard Stockton College at the Jersey Shore on Saturday, March 21. Forry posted a time of 10:59.76 to win the 3000 meter, while Novik grabbed first place in both the 100 meter (15.89) and 400 meter (1:07.86) hurdle races.
Novik also tied sophomore teammate Noreen Rearden for second place in the high jump with a clearance of 1.47 meters.
The Golden Rams women posted a solid showing in the pole vault thanks to junior captain Jen Butler and freshman Lori Belinsky. Butler produced a second-place clearance of 2.90 meters, while Belinsky took third with a leap of 2.75 meters.
Sophomore captain Nicole James finished second in the shot put (12.97m) and third in the discus (35.07m). The women’s javelin featured a third-place finish for freshman April Beattie who fired her spear 27.47 meters.