KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Not looking back on a 6-0 opening game loss in the four-game series opener earlier in the day, the Kutztown University baseball team claimed a 6-5 win over the 20th-ranked West Chester Golden Rams in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East Division doubleheader on Friday at North Campus Field.
The Golden Bears (12-12, 4-6 PSAC East) ran into a hot opposing starter as it couldn't drum up momentum in the first game, but the offense pulled the right strings in the nightcap to claim a one-run victory over a strong Golden Rams (20-5, 7-3 PSAC East) for Kutztown's first win over West Chester since 2024.
Game 1: #20 West Chester 6, Kutztown 0
With WCU starter Julian Costa (W, 6-1) firing an 85-pitch, complete game gem that featured 12 strikeouts and just four hits, Kutztown could do little to respond. The opposing offense put up enough to support its man on the mound, and its defense held up behind him to claim its 20th win of the year.
The one bright spot for KU was the ever-consistent leadoff man,
Bo Barthol (Breinigsville, Pa./Parkland), who went 3-for-3 with a double, as well as a number of great defensive plays in center field.
Drew Wheeler (Waxhaw, N.C./Marvin Ridge) recorded the other hit, while
Cam Burr (Reading, Pa./Muhlenberg) tallied his third stolen base of the year, but those ended up being moments in a game controlled by the Golden Rams.
Abel Saft (Kintnersville, Pa./Moravian Academy) (L, 2-3) allowed just four hits and struck out a pair in a five-inning, 101-pitch effort, while California native
Cain Lusic (San Pedro, Calif./San Pedro) threw the remaining two innings for KU.
West Chester had six runs on six hits, while Kutztown recorded four hits and an error in the opener.
Game 2: Kutztown 6, #20 West Chester 5
There seemed to be much more activity in the second game for both teams, and in the end, it came down to who finished things off with the final punch.
West Chester struck first in the opening frame with a three-run blast to left center, and added a fourth run on a double to the opposite field in the second to make it 4-0. Kutztown countered with a big, four-run fourth, using a
Joel Bonner (Hulmeville, Pa./Neshaminy) double, singles from
Drew Wheeler (Waxhaw, N.C./Marvin Ridge) and
Bryce Schafer (Kempton, Pa./Kutztown), and a
Drew Wheeler (Waxhaw, N.C./Marvin Ridge) sacrifice to knot things up.
The Golden Rams responded by getting a runner on second in the fifth and benefitting from a miscue later in the inning, going one run up with nine outs to get. The Maroon and Gold, however, flipped the advantage the other way, first with a Burr single to right field and a go-ahead throwing error started off the bat of
Jared Ferguson (Reinholds, Pa./Cocalico) to make it 6-5. Sophomore righty
Jeremy Fallon (Souderton, Pa./Souderton) (SV, 2) collected his second save of the season in a strong, two-inning performance that saw him allow no hits.
Rookie
Kooper Zdimal (Morgantown, Pa./Twin Valley) (W, 3-0) continued his flawless start to the year by throwing five innings and 104 pitches while striking out three Golden Rams batsmen. He earned the win after WCU's Kyle Rogers (L, 3-2) made way for the tying and go-ahead runs to cross the plate.
Kutztown's winning line features six runs on nine hits and no errors, while West Chester had five runs, seven hits and an error in defeat.
For the 2026 Golden Bears, the team has now defeated a pair of teams ranked in the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Polls, as West Chester joins Goldey-Beacom, who was ranked at #30, to fall to the Golden Bears while recognized in the national rankings. It is also the team's highest-ranked victory since defeating sixth-ranked Millersville, 5-4, on March 22, 2024.
The series is set to turn to West Chester's Serpico Stadium tomorrow, April 4, with the doubleheader between the two teams slated to start at 1 p.m. Kutztown returns to North Campus Field for a Friday meeting with the Shepherd Rams on April 10, with first pitch targeted for 1 p.m.
