The Golden Rams’ baseball teams winning streak now stands at 12 games as they defeated Millersville University, Lincoln University and East Stroudsburg.On Tuesday, March 23 the WCU Golden Rams added to their winning streak by sweeping a PSAC East doubleheader at Millersville by scores of 10-1 and 6-2. WCU’s starting pitchers stole the show Tuesday afternoon as both pitchers Eric Carmichael in game one, and freshman right-hander Fred Breidebach in the nightcap picked up important wins.
Carmichael (5-1) threw six innings, allowing just two hits. Millersville managed a bunt single and a homerun from Carlos Medina in the sixth inning. He walked one batter and struck out five. Joe Opalka took over in the seventh, where he would strike out one MU batter. Kevin McGrath went 3-for-5 in the opener with three RBI, including a two-run homer in the seventh to put the nail in the coffin.
The freshman righty stayed perfect on the season, Breidenbach (5-0) tossed five smooth innings. He allowed two runs on five hits and struck out nine without walking a single batter. Carmen Daddario finished up with the final two innings, allowing two hits while striking out three. The Golden Rams pitching staff is beginning to be a difference maker thus far in the early going.
“Our overall season success will be based on the entire staff. In order to do that, we have to concentrate at every practice on keeping the ball down in the zone on all pitches as well as being able to throw an off-speed pitch for a strike in a fastball hitting count,” head coach Mark Jackson said.
McGrath went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Joe Wendle was 2-for-4 and third basemen Josh Heyne went 2-for-3.
On Wednesday, March 24 WCU defeated Lincoln University in a non-league game at Serpico Stadium by a score of 22-2. Brandon Wolfe was 3-for-3 with six RBI. Christian Cox also broke out offensively, going 4-for-5 with three RBI. WCU took an early 7-0 lead after the first inning; six of the runs were unearned due to Lincoln errors.
Sophomore pitcher Jordan Lehman (2-0) picked up the win against Lincoln. John Hopkins threw two innings and struck out five batters.
Saturday, March 27 WCU hosted the East Stroudsburg Warriors for a PSAC doubleheader. WCU swept the doubleheader winning game one 5-2 and game two 9-5 at a chilly Serpico Stadium in West Chester.
In game two, WCU scored runs in each of the first four innings to give the Golden Rams an early 9-2 lead after four innings of play.
In the second inning the leadoff hitter Kevin McGrath knocked in a run with a single up the middle. In the third inning, third basemen Heyne drove home Matt Baer with a single as well. The Golden Rams’ offense exploded for six runs in the fourth inning. Kyle Orensky who blasted a three-run homerun did half of the damage. Christian Cox followed in the inning with a sac fly; Heyne yet again drove home two more runs to complete the inning.
Dave Stieg got the win, he tossed a complete game going all seven innings, giving up six hits, five earned runs, while striking out three and walking one ESU batter. Stieg had a smooth six innings, but the Warriors got to him a bit in the seventh. ESU scored three of their five runs in the last frame.
Heyne finished 2-for-4 with three RBI, Orensky also helped lead WCU past the Warriors with three RBI of his own. In game two against East Stroudsburg, Spisak broke former teammate Matt Cotellese’s team record and conference record for runs scored in a career when he scored his 203nd in front of the home crowd in the fourth inning.
This upcoming week the West Chester Golden Rams will be playing Wilmington University on Tuesday, March 30 in the annual Bill Giles Tournament starting at 3:30 p.m. at Serpcio Stadium. On Wednesday, March 31 WCU will travel to play Univ. of the Sciences for a non-league game at 3:30 p.m. Friday, April 2 WCU heads to Mansfield for a doubleheader. Game one starts at 1 p.m. Saturday, WCU will welcome Mansfield to Serpico Stadium for a re-match doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.
Steven Fisher is a third-year student majoring in communications with a minor in Journalism. He can be reached at SF674180@wcupa.edu.