PHILADELPHIA -- Caleb Strawhecker delivered one of the most explosive offensive performances in West Chester history Wednesday afternoon, powering the Golden Rams to a 14–10 victory over Saint Joseph’s at Smithson Field.
The sophomore catcher went 4-for-5 with three home runs and eight RBIs as No. 19/27 West Chester improved to 9–2 in the first meeting between the programs since 1997. The win also marked the Golden Rams’ first victory over a Division I opponent since defeating Penn in 2008.
West Chester built an early cushion. Austin Stalker opened the scoring with a two-out RBI double in the first inning, and the Golden Rams added three more runs in the second on RBI singles by Carter Rust and Strawhecker to take a 4–0 lead.
Saint Joseph’s (5–9) answered quickly. In the bottom of the second, a walk and two hit batters loaded the bases with two outs before Alex Kelsey ripped a bases-clearing double down the left-field line, cutting the deficit to 4–3.
The Hawks tied the game in the third inning when Jack Saker delivered a two-out RBI double, scoring Alex Venezia after he had reached on a walk.
West Chester reclaimed control in the fourth inning when Strawhecker launched a three-run home run to left-center, restoring the Golden Rams’ lead at 7–4.
Strawhecker added another long ball in the sixth inning, a two-run shot, and Hunter Smith followed with an RBI single as West Chester stretched its advantage to 10–4.
Saint Joseph’s mounted its biggest rally in the seventh inning.
Blake Primrose led off the inning with a home run, and after a walk to Richard Beggy and a double by Venezia put two runners aboard, Saker drove in a run with a groundout to cut the deficit to 10–6.
Moments later, Tim Dickinson crushed a two-run homer, bringing the Hawks within a run. A walk to Ben Peterson and a single by Kelsey set the stage for Ryan Price, who beat out an infield single to score Peterson. Primrose followed with another single to drive in Kelsey and tie the game 10–10.
The tie did not last long.
Strawhecker opened the eighth inning by blasting his third home run in as many at-bats, giving West Chester an 11–10 lead.
The Golden Rams added insurance in the ninth inning. Stalker delivered a two-run double, and another run crossed on a wild pitch to extend the lead to 14–10.
West Chester’s bullpen secured the win from there. Ben Jones (1–0) earned the victory in relief, while Kyle Kearns closed the game in the ninth inning.
Strawhecker’s performance placed him among the most productive single-game hitters in program history. His three home runs tied the school record, and his eight RBIs matched the program’s single-game mark.
For Saint Joseph’s, Kelsey led the offense with a 5-for-6 performance, scoring once and driving in three runs as the Hawks rallied from multiple deficits but could not complete the comeback.
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