Late Rally Lifts West Chester To 6-5 Win Over Slippery Rock

The following is a press release from the West Chester University Athletic Department.

West Chester scored three runs in the top of the eighth to tie the game and then got the game-winner in the ninth to come from behind and beat Slippery Rock, 6-5, in the team’s final contest at the Russmatt Intercollegiate Tournament in Florida on its spring break trip.
 
Chris Pula’s sacrifice fly with one out scored Jack Provine with the game-winning run in the top of the ninth, handing West Chester (9-1) its seventh win in eight contests on its spring break trip. Slippery Rock (6-9-1) stranded the tying run at second base in the bottom of the ninth.
 
Trailing 5-2 entering the top of the eighth inning, the Golden Rams rallied for three runs to tie the game at five. Provine opened the frame with a walk and would advance to second on an error by The Rock’s pitcher. Joe Wendle then moved Provine over to third on a ground out to the right side. Pula then hit a sacrifice fly to score Provine with the first run of the game.
 
Justin Lamborn then drew a walk from Joby Lapkowicz and stole second to get things started again. Jordan Wlodarczyk then singled up the middle, plating Lamborn with the second run of the frame.
 
Josh Heyne then reached on an error by SRU’s third baseman, and Wlodarczyk moved up to second. Matt Baer then singled to right-center, scoring Wlodarczyk with the tying run and advancing Heyne to third. John Kovalik came on in relief of Lapkowicz and got The Rock out of the inning without anymore damage.
 
Kyle Weary (2-0) pitched the final 2.2 innings to pick up his second win of the season. He allowed one run on three hits while walking one and striking out one. Nick Hinkson got the start on the mound for the Golden Rams. He lasted four innings and yielded three runs on five hits and walked three. Alec Schwartz relieved Hinkson in the fifth and lasted 2.1 innings, surrendering one run on one hit, walking two and striking out two.
 
Wlodarczyk finished 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored and a pair of RBI. Lamborn was 2-for-3 with a pair of runs and two stolen bases. Pula knocked in two runs with his pair of sacrifice flies.
 
In the completion of a game that was suspended due to rain on Sunday, West Chester dropped its first contest of the 2012 season, 5-4, to Minnesota-Duluth before its game with Slippery Rock. The Golden Rams and Bulldogs picked up the tilt in the top of the ninth inning with UMD at the plate, two men out and a runner on third.
 
West Chester got out of the inning without allowing the run to score. However, the Bulldogs struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth to earn the 5-4 victory.
 
West Chester heads north after its win over PSAC West rival Slippery Rock and will travel to Mansfield on Friday for the first league doubleheader of the season. The Golden Rams will make their home debut on Saturday at Serpico Stadium with a doubleheader against the Mountaineers scheduled to start at 1 p.m.