West Chester baseball continued out of conference domination with wins over the University of the Sciences and Nyack College.The Golden Rams returned home for the first time since traveling to Fla. where they recorded a dominating 7-1 record from the sunshine state. West Chester hosted the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia on Thursday for only their second home game of the season.
WCU opened the game firing on all cylinders. After putting up a two-spot in the first inning, West Chester opened up the lead in the second with a nine-run inning highlighted by two Ram home runs and nine consecutive West Chester players crossing the plate.
Much of the same occurred in the third inning when the Ram’s scored eight runs, all with two outs. After the third inning, West Chester led 19-0.
“It was complete domination,” one spectator said after the game. West Chester would finish blanking USP 27-0.
Drew Pare hit three home runs in the contest and knocked in five runs. Kyle Bechter had four hits, scored four times and hit a grand slam in the third inning. Mark Gilliford knocked his 22 home run of his career placing him one short of a tie for the school record.
On the mound, West Chester sent out Eric Carmichael who pitched three scoreless innings and gave up two hits. Jamie Rundatz (2-0) picked up the win pitching three innings, whiffing three USP batters.
After the USP rout, West Chester took the field at Serpico Stadium, Saturday, for a doubleheader against Nyack College.
In the first game, Frank Gailey pitched six scoreless innings. Nyack errors in the second inning allowed Matt Cotellese to come to the plate and hit his first home run of the season, a three-run shot to left field. All four runs in the frame were unearned.
West Chester finished with strong pitching in the 7-1 win over Nyack. Gailey got his second win of the season.
In the second game of the twin bill, the game started and finished as a pitcher’s duel. West Chester started Chris Powl who pitched seven innings in the effort. Nyack opposed with Jason Mulero, who contributed for seven-plus innings for his team.
West Chester got on the board first with Gilliford’s home run in the fourth. The home run itself was as dramatic as what it significant. Gilliford’s home run marked the 23 home run of his collegiate career tying the school mark.
The home run was hit high to left field, carrying with wind, and hit the top of the fence and just bounced over by inches putting West Chester on the board first, 1-0.
Nyack rebounded with a single in the sixth inning by Dan Marshall to score Billy Gleason who reached on a single earlier that inning.
After the game went to extra innings, in the bottom of the eighth, West Chester hit back-to-back doubles compliments of Kevin McGrath and Brandon Wolfe to take the walk off victory 2-1.
Jason Bowman pitched a perfect eighth inning striking out two batters and receiving exceptional defense behind him. With the solid inning, he picked up his second victory this season.
On a chip shot off the bat of pitcher Jason Mulero, second baseman Kyle Bechter charged forward, scooped the ball and threw in one motion just beating Mulero to the bag, killing any Nyack momentum.
West Chester is off until Tuesday when they play Indiana (Pa.) University in a doubleheader at Farrell Stadium at 1 p.m. Gilliford looks to potentially break the school record for career homeruns with one more long shot.