WEST CHESTER, Pa. – The Kutztown University baseball team dropped two games against Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference rival West Chester on Friday at Serpico Stadium, falling via 11-0 shutout in the opener before dropping a 3-2 decision in game two.
The Golden Bears (8-16, 2-4 PSAC East) were able to make it close in the second game, but the 14th-ranked Golden Rams (20-5, 4-2 PSAC East) had a great opening game on both sides of the ball and kept that going to take the first two games of the four-game season series, which will finish on Saturday afternoon at Kutztown.
Game 1: West Chester 11, Kutztown 0
The Golden Rams took control of the game with runs in each of their first two innings, advancing on a sacrifice fly in the first and scoring on an error in the second. WCU exploded for nine runs in the fifth inning to make it 11-0, and the Golden Rams' pitching was able to hold the visitors scoreless for their third shutout of the season.
Kutztown couldn't get any traction, as they recorded three hits and had just four baserunners in defeat.
Abel Saft (Kintnersville, Pa./Moravian Academy) (L, 0-4) was charged with 10 runs (five earned) over 4.2 innings, seeing nine batters get hits and an additional two reach base via walk. WCU's Julian Costa (W, 6-1) threw six shutout innings, striking out eight batters while allowing just two hits. Kutztown's Jeremy Fallon (Souderton, Pa./Souderton) pitched the remaining 1.1 innings, striking out two without earning a run on the afternoon.
Game 2: West Chester 3, Kutztown 2
A much closer second game saw the Golden Bears take a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, courtesy of hits from Jimmy Kerley (Indian Trail, N.C./Sun Valley) and Dalton Furst (Kutztown, Pa./Kutztown). With a 2-2 tie lasting through the third inning, the KU pitching staff was holding up quite well, but a West Chester single brought in an unearned run that turned out to be the deciding factor in the low-scoring affair.
The Golden Bears' bats were active in the latter game, as left fielder Bo Barthol (Breinigsville, Pa./Parkland) went 2-for-3 while scoring the game's opening run, and Kerley hit the RBI double that brought him home.
West Chester's Nick Noga (W, 2-2) came out of the contest with the victory, going five innings and allowing the two early runs. Teammate David Ferguson (SV, 2) tossed a two-inning save, while he and Noga held the game steady after a rocky opening frame. Redshirt senior Cody Barberio (Green Lane, Pa./Quakertown) (L, 2-2) threw his second complete game of the season, allowing three runs (two earned) while striking out one in defeat.
The teams will travel to Kutztown for a Saturday doubleheader at North Campus Baseball Field, with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.
