March 12, 2007

Box Score

Fort Myers, Fla. - No. 22 West Chester scored five runs in the eighth inning Sunday morning to hand the 27th-ranked Rock a 7-2 setback in a battle of nationally ranked (Collegiate Baseball Newspaper) teams at Terry Park.

The loss dropped The Rock's season record to 8-2. West Chester, the defending NCAA Division II North Atlantic Regional champion, is now 5-1.

West Chester's first three batters reached base via a base on balls and a pair of hit batsmen in the top of the eighth inning before three Rock errors kicked the door wide open to the decisive five-run frame.

Craig Misiewicz pitched the first seven innings, allowed two runs and was tagged with the loss. Vince Lloyd was the victim of the five-run West Chester uprising in the eighth inning before Mike DeCola pitched a scoreless ninth frame.

Phil Butch paced The Rock hitting attack with three hits in five at bats. Matt Adams (RBI single in third inning) and Jacob Oswalt each added a pair of hits, while Ryan Dillon singled home The Rock's final run in the bottom of the eighth inning.

The Rock and Golden Rams will meet again at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Terry Park.

Notes: In addition to their Collegiate Baseball national rankings, West Chester and The Rock are ranked second and third (tied), respectively, in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Division II North Atlantic Regional poll released on Monday. Kutztown (9-1) is ranked firsth in the region, while SRU shares the No. 3 spot with West Virginia State (10-3) ... Kutztown is ranked sixth in this week's Collegiate Baseball national poll... The Rock will take on Southwest Minnesota State in a 9 a.m. doubleheader on Thursday before closing out its annual spring-break trip schedule with 9 a.m. single games Friday and Saturday vs. Ashland and Hillsdale (Mich.). Ashland is ranked 21st in this week's Collegiate Baseball national poll and second in the NCBWA North Central Regional poll.