Release Date- 4/10/04

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MANSFIELD SWEEPS #11 RANKED WEST CHESTER 4-3, 6-2 – MOVE INTO FIRST PLACE IN PSAC EAST

MANSFIELD- Mansfield University baseball team took over possession of first place in the PSAC East with a 4-3 and 6-2 sweep over #11 ranked West Chester Saturday afternoon at Shaute Field.

In the opener Mansfield came from behind to defeat the Golden Rams 4-3.  Trailing by 2-0 in the bottom half of the fourth inning, the Mountaineers came back and tied the game after Matt Mills (Clifton, VA/Centreville)  singled in Dan Kochenderfer (Lewistown/Lewistown)  who earlier reached on an error.

In the following inning, West Chester responded when Erik Ruff hit a solo homerun off starter John Cronin to take a 3-2 lead.

Trailing by 3-2 in the bottom half of the seventh inning, David Meldrum (Venetia/Peters Township) led the inning off with a single followed by Stu Sumner’s (New Columbia/Milton) pinch-hit single advancing Travis Lepperd (Duncannon/Susquentia) to third who pinch-ran for Meldrum.

Travis Wurster (Montoursville/Montoursville) then followed with a sacrifice fly to centerfield scoring Lepperd to tie the game at 3-3.  With a runner at first with just one out, Rearick dropped down a bunt.  Third baseman Jared Lydon fielded the bunt cleanly, however threw the ball passed the first basemen allowing pinch-runner, Scott Erickson (Elmira,N.Y./Elmira Free) to score the walk-off game winning run.

In the nightcap Kane Stein (N.Huntington/Norwin) pitched a complete game surrendering just two runs on four hits while striking out seven batters for his second victory of the season.

The game was scoreless up until the bottom half of the fourth inning when Eric Baker (Apalachin, N.Y./Owego) and D.J. Hoshauer (Hamburg/Hamburg Area) led the inning off with back-to-back singles.  After Kochenderfer walked, Mills drove in two runs with a single.

Two batters later, Brett Shockloss (Williamsports/Loyalsock) singled in Kochenderfer for a 3-0 advantage.  The five run inning was capped off when Josh Rearick (Elton/Forest Hills) singled to centerfield scoring two runners.

Mansfield scored another run in the bottom half of the fifth inning when Hoshauer launched a solo homerun to give the Mountaineers a 6-0 lead.

West Chester got on the board in the top half of the sixth scoring two runs, but came no closer as Stein retired four straight batters to close out the game.

The Mountaineers improved to 21-14 overall and 9-3 in the PSAC East one game ahead of Kutztown and West Chester who are both 8-4 in conference play.  Mansfield will travel to Ithaca College on Monday to play a non-conference game against the Bombers of Ithaca College and will return home on April 16 to host the Marauders of Millersville University in a PSAC East double-header.

GAME ONE:

West Chester University                     000      210      0                      3-9-3

Mansfield University                            000      200      2                      4-6-1

West Chester University (27-5, 8-3) Kyle Frees (L, 3-2) and Brett Wallace

2b- Josh Wagner and Jared Lydon

HR- Erik Ruff

RBI- Erik Ruff, Jeff Lamb and Ryan Flynn

Mansfield University (20-14, 8-3) John Cronin, Marty Rakaczewski (5) (W, 4-2) and D.J. Hoshauer

RBI-Josh Rearick, Dan Kochenderfer, Matt Mills and Travis Wurster

GAME TWO:

West Chester Univeristy                     000      002      0                      2-4-0

Mansfield University                            000      510      x                      6-7-0

West Chester University (27-6, 8-4) Erik Ruff (L, 4-1), Kevin Kulick (4) and Brett Wallace

3b-Josh Yocum

RBI- Josh Yocum and Jared Lydon

Mansfield University (21-14, 9-3) Kane Stein (W, 2-2) and D.J. Hoshauer

HR- D.J. Hoshauer

RBI- Josh Rearick (2), Matt Mills (2), D.J. Hoshauer, and Brett Shockloss