It was the kind of series opener that leaves you wondering what might’ve been.
Ranked tenth in the country, West Chester rolled into Friday looking to set the tone in its weekend set with Shippensburg. What followed was a doubleheader split that had a little bit of everything—missed chances, perfectly placed bunts, crooked numbers, and a bounce-back gem.
The opener went the way of the Raiders, 5-4, thanks in part to a three-RBI afternoon from Carter Arbuthnot and a complete-game performance by Jaxon Dalena. Shippensburg came out swinging, scratching across two runs in the first inning on a sac fly and a base hit. West Chester chipped away in the third when Anthony Boccio delivered a run-scoring single, but the Raiders answered immediately, pushing their lead to 4-1 behind another RBI single and a wild pitch.
Just when it looked like the game might slip away, the Golden Rams responded. Austin Stalker punched a single into center to bring home one run in the fourth, and Sean Szestowicki followed with a two-run knock that tied the game at 4-4. But the tie didn’t last long. Arbuthnot, already with two ribbies on the day, delivered his third run-scoring single—this one the game-winner—giving Shippensburg the edge they needed.
West Chester nearly pulled off some two-out magic in the seventh. Boccio singled and swiped second, putting the tying run in scoring position. But Dalena, on his 103rd pitch of the day, froze the comeback with a called third strike to seal the deal. The win moved him to 4-3 on the year after scattering eight hits and striking out six. Kyle Lazer, unbeaten until Friday, took his first loss despite going the distance and fanning four.
The second game looked like a mirror image—only this time, it was West Chester who controlled the tempo.
Things started with a walk and a single, and when a wild pitch skipped away, Szestowicki raced home to score the game’s first run. Shippensburg tied it up in the third, capitalizing on a throwing error, but in the fourth, everything came unglued.
It started innocently enough—a single and a walk, then a bunt from John Dunion that should have moved the runners over. Only it wasn’t just a bunt. It was perfectly placed. Tough angle. Rushed throw. And just like that, the ball was airborne and sailing into right field. One run scored. Another moved to third. And the floodgates opened.
Casey Vaughan grounded out to second to bring home another. Szestowicki roped a single, forcing a call to the bullpen. Then came a hit by pitch. Then a fielder’s choice. By the time the inning was over, West Chester had poured four runs onto the board and seized a 5-1 lead.
Julian Costa did the rest. The righty was in complete control, allowing just two runs—one earned—on six hits in a seven-inning complete game. He struck out two and walked one, picking up his seventh win of the year. Shippensburg scratched one back in the seventh, but it never felt like Costa was in real trouble.
Cameron Goble took the loss, giving up five runs—three earned—over three and a third.
The Golden Rams will return to Shippensburg on Saturday for the final two games of the series, officially moved due to poor field conditions back home.
