WCU baseball sweeps Shepherd

Braeden Fausnaught struck out seven and scattered two hits over six-plus innings in Game 1, and Joe Sperone threw a complete game in the nightcap, as host West Chester swept a PSAC Eastern Division baseball doubleheader from Shepherd on a frigid Thursday at Maple Zone Sports Complex.

West Chester (8-2, 8-2 PSAC) took Game , 9-1, before taking the measure of Shepherd (7-7, 7-7) in game two, 6-3.

Brian Verratti was a combined 4-for-8 in the twinbill, and Nick D’Amore added a two-run home run in the second inning of game one to lead the offensive attack. West Chester’s bats were hot, rapping out 17 hits in the two games. The Golden Rams also took advantage of a combined nine errors by the Shepherd Rams in double dip.

West Chester got things going early in both contests, scoring four runs in the first inning of game one, and two more in the second, to jump out on top, 6-0. The hosts pushed across three in the first inning of game two and then added another three-spot in the third that answered a threerun rally by the visitors.

Fausnaught took a no-hitter into the fifth inning as the senior lefty stayed out of trouble for much of the afternoon. Fausnaught pitched into the seventh, getting the first out, before yielding to Cody Barberio, who walked a batter and then induced a game-ending double play. Fausnaught picked up his first win of the season, giving up just one run in 6.1 innings. He walked five and struck out seven.

Sperone was almost as masterful in the nightcap, improving to 2-0. He surrendered three runs on six hits, walked three and struck out six.

Verratti led off the bottom of the first in game two dropping in a double just inside the rightfield line. D’Amore beat out an infield hit that Verratti eventually scored on when Shepherd’s third baseman threw the ball away trying to hurry his throw. Unionville grad Drew Jarmuz was then hit by a pitch, before Mike Ferrara doubled to left, scoring D’Amore and moving Jarmuz to third. Zack Wright’s sacrifice fly brought home Jarmuz with the third run of the first.

In the third, Luke Cantwell hit a RBI double, Wright scored on a balk and Malvern Prep product Matt Daller hit a sac fly that scored Cantwell.