FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: West Chester Outslugs Mansfield

ST. PETERSBURG – Mansfield took an early lead, but West Chester pounded out 19 hits to outscore the Mounties 23-9 in a nine-inning game Monday at the Walter Fuller Complex.

The single game between the PSAC East foes did not count toward the divisional standings.

A single and a walk by Eric Schanzenbacher and Wes Baylor respectively put runners at first and second in the top of the first inning. Facing two outs, Ryan Paige drove in both with a double to left field to put the Mounties on the board. Paige scored later in the inning on an Owen Lukens RBI single to give Mansfield (0-5, 0-0 PSAC East) the 3-0 advantage.

The Mountaineer's lead was short lived though as West Chester scored nine runs on six hits and an error in the bottom half of the frame. The inning was extended by the error, with six of the nine runs being unearned, along with a questionable call at the plate on Dylan Tice's inside the park home run.

Zephan Kash scored Anthony Renz, who reached on a single, with a sacrifice fly to right field in the top of the third to cut the lead to 9-4. West Chester (1-3, 0-0 PSAC East) tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the inning.

In the top of the fourth, Dave Glueck doubled before Hillson legged out a single deep in the hole at short stop to put runners on first and second. In the next at bat, Schanzenbacher drilled a three-run homer over the left field fence to bring the Mounties within four runs. Westyn Baylor followed with a double and eventually scored on a throwing error to make it an 11-8 ball game.

Owen Lukens led off the top of the fifth before advancing to third on back-to-back groundouts. A fielding error at shortstop allowed Lukens to score and bring the Mounties within two runs at 11-9.

West Chester quickly rebuilt its lead, scoring seven runs in the bottom of the fifth. The Golden Rams added five more runs in the bottom of the eighth to hold a large lead.

Joe Gutowski was credited with the win for West Chester while Luke Hils took the loss for MU.

Hillson, Schanzenbacher, Renz and Lukens each recorded two hits in the loss. Baylor scored three runs for Mansfield.

Tice, Drew Diehl and Justin Roman each collected four hits for the Rams and combined for 17 RBIs and nine runs.

The Mountaineers will play a pair of games tomorrow starting with Tiffin at 10 a.m. followed by No. 7 Seton Hill at 1 p.m.