The Bill Giles Classic? Yeah, West Chester knows a thing or two about winning it.
The 14th-ranked Golden Rams, defending champions the last two seasons, punched their ticket to the title game once again with a 4-2 win over Jefferson on Tuesday. That’s three straight years with a shot at the crown. Not bad.
West Chester wasted no time, jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the first. Anthony Boccio got it started with an RBI triple to right, then jogged home on Ben Bolhouse’s double. Bolhouse? He scored, too—on a delayed steal that had Jefferson looking one way while he dashed home. A little small ball, a little trickery, and just like that, it was 3-0.
Jefferson made things interesting with a two-run homer in the third, but that’s as close as it got. Caleb Strawhecker added some breathing room in the fourth with an RBI single, and from there, West Chester’s bullpen took over.
Five pitchers combined to lock this one down. Danny Carr and Kyle Kearns covered the first three innings, Evan Wineburg and Jesse Specter each tossed two scoreless frames, and David Ferguson slammed the door with two dominant innings, striking out five for his first save of the year.
At the plate, Boccio, Strawhecker, and Szestowicki each went 2-for-4, setting the tone for a West Chester offense that did just enough to back the arms.
And now? It’s back to Citizens Bank Park on April 8 for a showdown with Wilmington in the title game. The Wildcats took down Chestnut Hill over the weekend, setting up a battle for the Bill Giles crown.
West Chester has been here before. Now, it’s one win away from making it three straight.
