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KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Two big late innings broke open both games of a doubleheader and propelled No. 25 West Chester to a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) sweep of the Kutztown University baseball team on Friday afternoon at North Campus Field. The Golden Rams used five runs in the fifth inning of game one to overcome a 1-0 deficit before scoring four in the sixth inning of game two to add on to a 2-0 lead.
Starting pitchers
Kurtis Hultz (Birdsboro, Pa./Daniel Boone (Cecil College)) and Jon Fisher each threw three perfect innings to open up game one, and after Hultz threw a perfect top of the fourth, the first 21 batters to come to the plate were retired in order.
It was not until
Bo Rottet (Tamaqua, Pa./Tamaqua) led off the bottom of the fourth by beating out an infield single, and advanced to second on a throwing error, that a baserunner reached.
Collin Bishop (Laurel Springs, N.J./Highland Regional) followed that with an attempted sacrifice bunt that turned into a bunt single, allowing
Ryan Cox (Aliquippa, Pa./Hopewell (St. Bonaventure))'s sacrifice fly to centerfield to quickly open the scoring.
Hultz retired the first hitter of the top of the fifth to make it 13 up and 13 down and looked to have 14 in a row when the next batter hit a blooper in front of the second baseman, but he narrowly beat out a throw to start what would be a game-changing rally. That began a stretch of six-of-seven hitters reaching, which led to five runs.
After the next batter was hit by a pitch, West Chester (20-6, 10-4 PSAC East) took the lead on the next pitch when a triple was stroked to right-centerfield. A wild pitch made it 3-1, and despite a second out being recorded, three consecutive hits – a triple, single and double - quickly made the score 5-1.
KU (12-19, 3-11) did have an answer to cut the deficit in half when back-to-back RBI base-hits by
Alec O'Dell (Edgewood, Md./West Chester Bayard Rustin (Harford C.C.)) and
Joe Santospago (Doylestown, Pa./Archbishop Wood (Mercer County C.C.)) drove in
Ben Eppley (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley (Frederick C.C.)) and Zack Schram to cut the lead to 5-3, but West Chester came right back with three runs in the top of the sixth to break open game one for good. The Golden Rams added a run in the seventh to complete the scoring.
Santospago led the offense in the opener, going 2-for-3 with the RBI and a triple, and he then went 1-for-2 with an RBI in the nightcap to finish the day 3-for-5 with two RBI.
Game two was a similar narrative early, with both pitchers –
Anthony DeVito (Philadelphia, Pa./Central (Mercer County C.C.)) and Eric Close - controlling the opposing offense early. After both teams were retired in order in the first, West Chester struck first in the top of the second thanks to a leadoff double, although that baserunner did not score until a two-out infield single.
The next 10 were sat down in order before a leadoff single in the top of the fourth, in which the hitter reached third on an error, led to an unearned run to double West Chester's advantage.
DeVito continued to battle to keep Kutztown within striking distance as the score remained 2-0 entering the sixth but once again West Chester struck with a big inning, this time pushing four across. The leadoff batter was retired but after a single, DeVito was lifted for a relief pitcher. The second out was quickly recorded after the next at-bat, but the next five Golden Rams all reached with two outs to effectively put the game way. After a walk, two hits and another base on balls, the big base-knock was a two-RBI single on a 1-2 pitch that pushed the score to 6-0.
Once again, KU looked to build momentum with back-to-back RBI at-bats by Bishop and Santospago – a double and a sacrifice fly - getting the Maroon and Gold within four, 6-2, but just as it had all day, West Chester quickly responded via a leadoff home run that led to a two-run frame to complete the scoring.
DeVito threw 5.1 solid innings in defeat, scattering five hits that led to the two earned runs. He struck out four and hit just one batter with zero walks.
O'Dell reached base twice in the nightcap as he finished 1-for-2 with a walk.
Kutztown and the Golden Rams will travel to West Chester tomorrow for another doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
