WEST CHESTER – In their first Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference game of the season, the Mansfield Mountaineers took down ninth-ranked West Chester 3-0 on Sunday afternoon at Serpico Field.
 
Originally planning on a normal weekend series, following several schedule changes, the two teams split the first doubleheader of the series at West Chester on Sunday. The Mounties will now host WCU for a doubleheader on Monday afternoon at Shaute Field.
 
The Golden Rams (10-4) came into the weekend ranked ninth in the nation with a team batting average over .300 and a team ERA south of 3.00, but it was Mansfield who struck first. The Mounties scored their first PSAC run of the season on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Josh Kulina in the top of the third inning. Jake Haas had walked to lead the inning off and was advanced to second base on a bunt from Koty Fitzgerald. A wild pitch brought Haas 90 feet closer, setting up Kulina's sacrifice fly.
 
In the bottom half of the inning, Evan McAndrew struck out the final batter of the frame to strand West Chester's Kyle Feaster at second base, keeping it a 1-0 Mountie lead.
 
The Mountaineers struck for two more runs in the top of the fifth inning, a stanza which was set up by a leadoff single from Camren Ney, followed by Haas' second walk of the game, and a bunt single from Fitzgerald to load the bases with no outs. Kulina plated Ney and Haas with a double to left field, making it a 3-0 ballgame.
 
McAndrew (3-1) continued to deal on the mound. With no real threat from the Golden Rams' offensive, the senior came back out for the seventh inning. A strikeout, a flyout, and a lineout to shortstop retired West Chester in seven pitches to seal the deal. McAndrew's complete game was the Mounties' first of the season, and the third of his career. The Schnecksville native struck out eight Rams and allowed just three hits in the shutout win, his third victory of the season.
 
Also contributing to Mansfield's five hits in the game was freshman Brittain Shander, who singled to lead the game off in a seven-pitch at-bat. Tyler Guidos and Shander also worked walks.
 
West Chester's Jared Melone provided two of his team's three hits. The senior came into the series with a team-high .444 batting average. Jon Fisher (2-1) was tagged with the loss, his first of the season. He allowed all three runs before being pulled in the fifth inning.
 
GAME 2
In the second game of the afternoon, Joe Zirolli hit his second home run of the season in the first inning and West Chester struck for 10 runs through the first two innings. They tacked on another two in the third, and three in the fifth en route to a 15-2 win to split with the Mountaineers on the day.
 
The Rams outhit MU 16-8 and each of their starters, except DH Mike Krusinski, recorded at least one hit. Zirolli was 3-for-4 with three runs and four RBI.  Tyler Guidos and Tony Brown each provided two hits for Mansfield, while Shander, Kulina, Brady Mengel, and Fitzgerald each singled once. The strongest showing for Mansfield when they strung together a three-hit fifth inning to score their first run of the game. Kulina drove in yet another run, his fourth of the day.
 
Errors on both sides of the box score accounted for a total of eight unearned runs. Neither of Mansfield's runs were earned. Scott McKenna earned the win, but the Mounties struck out just five times in the game. Bryce Zaparzynski (1), Troy Thomas (4), and Jake Manke (2), combined for seven strikeouts.
 
The Mounties and Rams return to Mansfield on Monday to play another two games at Shaute Field. Live coverage featuring stats and a video broadcast presented by Drew Patrick, and made possible by Visit Potter-Tioga, will be available at GoMounties.com.