Will Cherry's solo homer with two out in the bottom of the eighth inning gave the Moccasins a 2-1 win over West Chester Saturday at Henley Field For the ninth-ranked Moccasins, the win was their seventh straight and 15th in the last 16 games, improving their record to 16-4. They are 11-0 at home this season. West Chester, ranked 11th, dropped to 6-7.
After the two teams combined for 34 runs and 33 hits in Friday's game, the Moccasins' Stephen Batman and West Chester's Bret Moyer hooked up in a masterful pitchers' duel Saturday that took just an hour and 49 minutes to play. The Rams reached Batman for a run in the first, when Kevin McGrath singled, stole second, went to third on an infield out and scored on another infield out. The Moccasins tied it in the second, scoring without a hit, as Cherry walked, moved to second and third on a hit batsman and a walk, then scored when Jordan Guida was hit by a pitch. That's the way it stayed until Cherry delivered his game-winner.
Moyer worked seven innings, allowing just two hits and striking out eight. He did not allow a base runner past second base after the second inning. Batman, who raised his record to 4-1 and lowered his team-best ERA to 1.56, went eight innings, scattered four hits, struck out six and walked none. The Rams did not get a runner past first base against him after the first innning.
Billy Huntzinger replaced Moyer in the eighth inning and after he retired Nick Stanley and Zach Maggard, Cherry belted a 1-1 pitch over the wall in left field for his eighth home run of the season. Daniel Tillman came on for the ninth inning and set the Rams down in order to pick up his third save.
Robbie Shields had a single in three trips to the plate to extend his current hitting streak to 10 straight games.
The Moccasins play Saginaw Valley Monday at 3 p.m. at Henley Field.
