With temperatures dropping to dangerously low levels and the University shut down, life was looking bright for Coach Greg Mamula’s boys in South Carolina, even if it was a bit rainy. The baseball team opened the season with an impressive 10-2 victory over Caldwell College in Myrtle Beach S.C. The Rams are attempting to prove they are the real deal and worthy of the No. 20 ranking they received before the season began.
Though Myrtle Beach is generally thought of as a sunny and warm vacation area, the boys had to battle showers that pushed their games back.
Even with the weather being so cold and wet, it did not affect junior ace Jason Bowman. Bowman ended last season with the lowest ERA of the Golden Rams’ starters with a 2.94 ERA and picked up right where he left off with an impressive line. Bowman got the win going six innings and struck out 10 Caldwell batters and just three hits.
When Bowman left the game, and was relieved by Chris Powl, another of the Golden Rams’ superstar arms, relieved him while holding a 3-1 lead. That was before last years MVP, designated hitter Drew Pare started the rally in the seventh inning with a double, and was followed by Charlie Kelly’s RBI double. Kelly was caught trying to stretch his double into a triple and it looked like Caldwell would sneak out of the inning allowing one run.
They would not be so lucky on this day as the Rams decided that it would be the seventh inning that they put Caldwell away. They loaded the bases on an error, hit by pitch, and walk for senior outfielder Frank Nunan, a transfer from Temple University. Nunan got his season off to a great start smacking a two run single to put the Rams up 5-1.
Still in the seventh, Golden Rams’ catcher Bob Stumpo would later score on an error while last year’s rookie of year, shortstop Nick Spisak, reached on a fielder’s choice. Later, he stole third base and scored on a throwing error by the catcher.
Look for Spisak’s speed to make a key difference in the big games this season as he stole seven bases last season and played in every game for the Rams.
The Rams never looked back from the 8-1 lead after their five run seventh and Chris Powl got credit for his first save of the season.
Nunan finished the game 4-5 with three RBIs in his first game as a Golden Ram. Look for the transfer player to make a big impact this year as he dons the purple and gold for the first time, leaving the Owl’s red behind.
Saturday night the Golden Rams downed Mercy under the lights at Myrtle Beach, 7-1.
The Golden Rams jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back en-route to the team’s second victory of the young season.
Pare and Stumpo both finished with two hits for the Rams in their first regular season game and proved to Caldwell and the rest of college baseball, that they are the real deal, a team with their eyes set on the College World Series.
The Golden Rams return north for it’s home opener on March 1 against UMASS-Lowell.
Ken Schmidt is a third-year student majoring in communication studies. He can be reached at KS609536@wcupa.edu.