West Chester dominates Angelo State, 12-2, at the Division II College World Series.

West Chester doesn't merely survive, but thrives to move on to play another day.

WCU pitcher Andrew Cantwell shut down Angelo State through seven innings in just his third start of the season.Read moreBrett Friedlander

by Brett Friedlander, For The Inquirer

Published June 8, 2022, 7:05 p.m. ET

CARY, N.C. — It’s said that in baseball, momentum is only as good as the next day’s starting pitcher.

That’s been only partially true for West Chester at the Division II College World Series.

The eighth-seeded Golden Rams did get an unexpectedly strong performance Wednesday from seldom-used left-hander Andrew Cantwell, who allowed only one run in seven innings in just his third start of the season. But their offense also picked up right where it left off in its previous game on the way to a 12-2 victory against Angelo State at the USA Baseball National Training Complex.

Justin Horn and Keith Flaherty hit first-inning home runs to get West Chester off to a second straight elimination-game win and a spot in the semifinals of the double-elimination tournament against top-seeded North Greenville.

“I think the offense needed something of a jump start, said Horn, who had four RBIs and two runs scored to go along with his first homer of the season. “Luckily we got it, and it carried into today. It seems like with us, it’s always a matter of time. Even when we go into slumps, we typically break out of them in big ways.”

The Rams (36-14) had been struggling at the plate through the majority of their first two games in Cary and appeared to be heading home early until erupting for five runs to rally for a win against Southern New Hampshire on Tuesday.

Their bats remained hot overnight, as Horn and Flaherty staked their team to a quick 4-0 lead. It became 10-0 after a six-run fourth, a big cushion that helped ease the pressure of the win-or-go-home situation.

“Certainly, getting out to that lead alleviates a lot of pressure in an elimination game because you’re not playing from behind,” West Chester coach Mike LaRosa said. “That’s something we haven’t done a lot lately.”

Staked to the double-digit cushion, Cantwell did the rest. The younger brother of starting right fielder Luke Cantwell struck out five and walked two while scattering eight hits and allowing one earned run. He used a variety of pitches and a fastball that rarely clocked higher than the mid-80s to stymie the usually potent lineup of Angelo State (51-14) of San Angelo, Texas.

It was a sterling performance that did much more than just win a game. It also helped save the rest of the Rams’ pitching staff for a potentially long grind to come.

Not only will West Chester be playing its third game in as many days while North Greenville hasn’t played since Tuesday, but it will have to beat the Crusaders twice to advance to Saturday’s championship round.

“It was huge not having to go through a lot of arms today,” LaRosa said. “To be able to eat seven innings is absolutely huge knowing we’ve got to stretch this run another few games, hopefully. He gave a couple of guys some much-needed rest.”

LaRosa said he is still undecided on who will pitch Thursday, although it’s a possibility Game 1 starter, ace Braeden Fausnaught, will be available to make the start.

No matter who’s on the mound, the Rams are brimming with confidence as they continue to defy the seedings that tabbed them as the lowest-ranked team in the original eight-team field.

“I don’t think we feel like an eight-seed at all,” Horn said. “We’re just good, if not better than any team here. Does it motivate us? I think there’s other things that motivate us before that. We’re trying to do what every other team here is trying to do, and that’s win the whole thing.”