No. 5 West Chester Sweeps Shippensburg; Runs Streak to 20 games

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

Sophomore right-hander Joe Gunkel picked up a complete-game win in the opener, and host West Chester scored 14 runs in the first four innings of game two en route to a PSAC East baseball doubleheader sweep over visiting Shippensburg Friday afternoon.
 
West Chester (25-1, 10-0 PSAC East) remained perfect in conference play and ran its consecutive wins streak to 20 games in the process. Shippensburg (21-15, 7-7) pulled within one on a two-out, two-run double in the top of the fourth inning of game one by leadoff hitter Eric Herman. However, he was stranded at second base.
 
Gunkel (4-0) retired 10 of the last 11 Shippensburg batters to close out game one with his third complete-game win against league competition this spring.
 
West Chester scored one in the first, two in the second and one more in the third to take a 4-1 lead into the fourth. Shippensburg scored its run in the second to momentarily tie the game at 1-1. However, Gunkel got out of a bases loaded jam with just that single, unearned run crossing the plate, and the Golden Rams’ bats did the rest.
 
Mike Raimo, Jordan Wlodarczyk and Josh Heyne each collected a pair of hits. Provine laced a run-scoring triple down the right-field line in the bottom of the first to put the Rams on top. Wlodarczyk, Heyne and Pulford had the other three RBI.
 
Joe Wendle went 4-for-5 with four runs scored and three RBI in the nightcap while Chris Pula and Matt Kirchner were each 3-for-5. Pulford knocked in three runs, going 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scord.
 
Rob Lessig hit a pinch-hit two-run double in the bottom of the sixth.
 
Fred Breidenbach (5-0) started and threw the first five innings, scattering five hits and allowing two runs, only of them earned, while walking two and striking out four. John Barr and Brent Roehrich each tossed one inning in relief.
 
West Chester and Shippensburg conclude their four-game weekend series on Saturday in Shippensburg with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
 
NOTES: West Chester junior DH Jordan Wlodarczyk recorded a hit in each game of the doubleheader, running his consecutive-game hitting streak to 19 straight … Wlodarczyk entered this week’s action leading Division II in hitting with a .544 batting average … R-So., RHP Fred Breidenbach is 16-2 in his college career following his win in game two … Sr., 2B Joe Wendle picked up his 165th RBI to move into second place all-time at WCU behind Matt Cotellese’s PSAC record 200 RBI from 2005-09 … West Chester is currently ranked first in the NCBWA Atlantic Region poll … the Golden Rams are ranked in a tie for No. 1 in the country in the latest Collegiate Baseball Newspaper poll with St. Mary’s (Texas) … WCU also is ranked 14th in the nation by College Baseball Lineup.