May 16, 2009

Bowman pitches complete game, West Chester rides fifth-inning rally to win

WEST LAWN, Pa. — No. 1-seeded West Chester University used a five-run fifth to hold off No. 4 Mercyhurst College and win 6-2 in Game 7 of the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regionals Saturday at Owls Field.

Mercyhurst took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth, but West Chester responded with a walk and four clutch hits to take a 6-2 lead.

West Chester starting pitcher Jason Bowman took care of the rest, throwing a complete game, limiting Mercyhurst to two runs on 12 hits. He struck out six, including two in the ninth to close out the win.

The majority of his run support came in the fifth.

Joe Wendle led off the inning with a walk, and he and Josh Heyne scored on Nick Spisak’s single to make it 3-2.

Matt Cotellese hit an RBI double to make it 4-2, and he and Blair Dameron scored on Charlie Kelly’s two-RBI double.

Kelly’s double was the fourth hit of the inning off of Mercyhurst starter Adam Gray who before the fifth inning had held West Chester to one unearned run on two hits.

Kelly scored that unearned run the second inning to give West Chester the early 1-0 lead.

Mercyhurst tied the game at 1-1 with a tally in the third and took the 2-1 lead when Jonathan Keppler drove in Craig Denman in the fifth inning.

Jon Blike finished 3-for-4 for Mercyhurst and Trey Bennett was 2-for-3 with a run scored. Keppler also had two hits.

West Chester (45-10) advances to Game 10 where it will face the winner of Game 9 between Mercyhurst (37-16) and either Kutztown or West Virginia State.

Game 10 will start at noon Sunday, with Game 11, an “if necessary game,” to follow.

Game 9 for Mercyhurst will start at 7 p.m. Saturday.