RELEASE DATE: 4/05/03

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MOUNTIE’S SPLIT AT WEST CHESTER IN PSAC BASEBALL ACTION SATURDAY  

West Chester – DJ Houshauer (Hamburg/Hamburg) drilled a pinch-hit double in the top of the ninth inning to lead Mansfield University to a 4-2 win over West Chester University in the opening game of a PSAC East doubleheader Saturday afternoon. West Chester rallied to win the nightcap 5-3.  

In the opener, the Mountaineers broke up a scoreless game in the top of the sixth inning when Josh Rearick (Elton/Forest Hills) led off with a single and went to third on an errant pickoff attempt. Brett Brown (Bellefonte/Bellefonte) then lofted a sacrifice fly to center field to score Rearick.  

Mansfield added another run in the top of the seventh when Jason Fischer (Williamsport/Williamsport) reached on an error and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Doug Evans (Mansfield/Elmira Notre Dame). Fischer would later score on an RBI single by Travis Wurster (Montoursville/Montoursville).  

After two quick outs, West Chester rallied in the bottom of the seventh inning scoring two unearned runs. The score remained deadlocked until the top of the ninth when DJ Houshauer drilled a two-out, two run, pinch-hit double to give Mansfield a 4-2 lead.  

West Chester had men on second and third with two outs in the bottom of the ninth before Marty Rakaczewski (Wilkes-Barre/Hanover) come in relief of Dan Yoder (Williamsport/Williamsport) and got the final batter to ground out. Yoder, who came in relief of starter Jeff Papi (Tunkhannock/Tunkhannock) in the seventh, was credited with the win to improve to 5-1 on the season.  

Rearick led the Mountaineers at the plate going 4-5 while Brett Brown was 2-3 with an RBI.  

Mansfield scored three runs in the top of the third inning to take a 3-1 lead in the nightcap on RBI’s by Brett Brown and Jason Fischer. But West Chester would rally for two runs in the bottom of the third and take the lead for good with two more runs in the bottom of the fifth to pull out the split.  

Fischer went 2-3 to lead the Mountaineers at the plate. John Cronin (Horseheads,NY/Horseheads) started and went the first five innings before being relieved by Dan Yoder.  

Mansfield goes to 16-11 overall and 3-3 in the PSAC East. The Mountaineers often-rescheduled doubleheader with Bloomsburg for Sunday at Shaute Field has been postponed again because the Bloomsburg – Kutztown doubleheader was postponed today.  

GAME ONE

Mansfield                   000            001            102            4-10-2

West Chester            000            000            200            2-7-1

Mansfield (16-10, 3-2): Jeff Papi, Dan Yoder (7) (W, 5-2), Marty Rakaczewski (9) (s-4) and Craig Barkey, DJ Houshauser (9)

2b – Josh Rearick, DJ Houshauser            RBI – Houshauser 2, Brett Brown, Travis Wurster

West Chester (19-5, 4-2): Jeff Brennan (L, 4-1) and Jared Nace

2b – Dan Newton, DanToner            3b – Mike LaRosa

RBI – Toner, LaRosa

GAME TWO 

Mansfield                   003            000            0            3-8-3

West Chester            102            020            x            5-11-1

Mansfield (16-11, 3-3): John Cronin (L, 2-2), Dan Yoder (5) and DJ Houshauer

RBI – Brett Brown, Jason Fischer

West Chester (20-5, 5-2): Kyle Frees (W, 4-1) and Dan Toner

2b – Josh Wagner, Dan Newton, Erik Ruff, Julian Pellegrini, Eric Boettcher

RBI – Ruff 2, Chris Talar, Wagner