After hitting a rough 3-5 patch in their last eight games, the Golden Rams baseball team got back on the right track this week with a pair of wins in a double header against Bloomsburg University.
Game one was a close one as West Chester University was able to squeeze out the 9-8 win. Nick Bateman and Nick Ward each hit home runs in the second and third innings to put WCU up 4-0 after three innings. WCU scored two more in the top of the fifth before the Huskies climbed back with four runs in the bottom of the inning to bring the score to 6-5. The two sides traded runs again in the sixth inning with WCU scoring three runs and Bloomsburg scoring two runs to bring the score to 9-7 heading into the final inning. Josh McClain came into the game to close for the Golden Rams, and after giving up a solo home run to bring it to a one-run game, he was able to secure the 9-8 victory for WCU in game one. The one through five hitters for the Golden Rams all recorded multi-hit games and accounted for 10 of WCU’s 13 hits. The victory by WCU ended an eight-game winning streak for the Huskies.
Game two was anything but a close game. West Chester’s leading pitcher, Mike Cipolla, pitched his first complete game of the season during a 10-1 Golden Rams victory. WCU opened the flood gates in the second inning, climbing out to a 6-0 lead, highlighted by a Drew Diehl two RBI single to center field. The Rams scored one in the third and three more in the sixth en route to their 10-1 blowout victory to complete the doubleheader sweep of the Bloomsburg Huskies. Cipolla picked up the win on the mound to move to 5-2 on the season. Shane Dressler went 5-for-8 on the day while Diehl went 4-for-9.
The Golden Rams had two games postponed this week, a matchup against the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, with no makeup date announced, and a doubleheader Saturday at home against Bloomsburg was moved to Monday. Riding a three game winning streak, WCU sits at 18-9 on season and in third place in the PSAC East, trailing Millersville and East Stroudsburg University. With 18 games remaining in the season, the Golden Rams look poised to make a successful playoff run. Throughout the season, the leaders of the team have stepped up from game to game and lead the team to victory through consistent hitting. A matchup with the powerhouse Millersville Marauders, who are 29-3 on the season, eventually looms in the playoffs. The Golden Rams have proven they can be beaten, splitting a doubleheader with them earlier in the season. This is a WCU team that is as good as anybody on any given day, and with consistent hitting and reliable pitching, should be able to finish out the second half of the season on a successful run.
Dylan Harrison is a fourth-year student majoring in communication studies with a minor in journalism. Contact them at DH785892@wcupa.edu