Wendle Belts Three HRs; No. 17 West Chester Sweeps Bloomsburg

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

Joe Wendle tied a school record with three home runs in game one, and Fred Breidenbach tossed a complete-game, four-hitter in the nightcap as 17th-ranked West Chester University swept a PSAC East doubleheader from homestanding Bloomsburg University at Litwhiler Field Friday afternoon.
 
The Golden Rams held off a furious rally in game one for a 9-8 decision, before riding the right arm of sophomore Breidenbach to a 7-2 win in the second contest.
 
West Chester (31-8, 15-7 PSAC East) must win one of the two games against Bloomsburg (24-19, 11-11) Saturday afternoon at home to clinch its third division title in the last four years. Both Kutztown and Shippensburg enter Saturday two games behind the Golden Rams with 13 league wins.
 
Wendle hit a two-run homer in the top of the first inning to stake West Chester to an early lead. He followed with a three-run shot in the fourth and hit what would turn out to be the most important of his blasts to lead off the seventh. He also singled in the third to finish the opener 4-for-4 with four runs scored and six RBI.
 
Wendle’s third blast of the day in the seventh put the Rams on top, 9-3, and the visitors seemed to be in control. However, the Huskies scored five runs in the bottom of the seventh to make things interesting. The first three batters of the inning reached safely on reliever Brent Roehrich, who came on in relief of starter Joe Gunkel (7-0) to start the seventh.
 
Kyle Weary was then called upon, but walked in a run and gave up an inside-the-park grand slam to brought Bloomsburg within one. Weary retired the next three hitters (3-4-5) in succession to preserve the win.
 
Gunkel threw six innings of five-hit ball, surrendering three runs and walking one and striking out four.
 
Jordan Wlodarczyk and Matt Baer each had a pair of hits as well.
 
West Chester plated six runs in the fourth inning and one more in the fifth to put away game two. The Golden Rams scored all six runs with two outs in the frame. Jack Provine hit a two-run single, and Bloomsburg walked Wendle intentionally to load the bases. That is when Chris Pula cleared the bags with a triple to left-center. Justin Lamborn followed that with a single up the middle that scored Pula.
 
The Huskies scored one in the sixth and one more in the seventh, but Breidenbach was back to his usual self, dominating Bloomsburg’s hitters all day. He finished with six strikeouts without walking a batter.
 
Pula finished 2-for-4 with three RBI. Reid Pulford was 4-for-4 with a pair of runs scored. Both Lamborn and Provine went 2-for-4 as well.
 
Saturday, West Chester and Bloomsburg conclude the PSAC regular-season slate at Serpico Stadium with game one of a doubleheader scheduled for 1 p.m. It will be Senior Day on Saturday as West Chester honors eight seniors, who are closing out their careers.