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Wendle leads W. Chester to 3-2 victory

Joe Wendle (Avon Grove) stroked a run-scoring single down the right-field line in the top of the seventh to score the game-winning run as West Chester topped Mercyhurst, 3-2, in an NCAA Atlantic Regional baseball game in West Lawn, Pa., Friday night.

Joe Wendle (Avon Grove) stroked a run-scoring single down the right-field line in the top of the seventh to score the game-winning run as West Chester topped Mercyhurst, 3-2, in an NCAA Atlantic Regional baseball game in West Lawn, Pa., Friday night.

Righthander Joe Gunkel (8-1) struck out nine to pick up the complete-game win. He allowed two runs, one of them earned, on eight hits. He did not walk a batter.

West Chester took advantage of a Mercyhurst error in the seventh to score an unearned run, which proved to be the difference. Leadoff hitter Reid Pulford (Medford) reached on a fielding miscue by the shortstop and advanced to second on a one-out single by Jack Provine (Lincroft). That set the stage for Wendle's game-winning hit.

With the win, the Golden Rams (40-10) advance in the winner's bracket and remain the only unbeaten team left after two days at the double-elimination regional.

Mercyhurst (39-16) fell into the loser's bracket and will take on Seton Hill at 11 a.m. Saturday. The Rams face the winner of that game at 6 p.m.

The winner of the Atlantic Regional will earn a trip to the Division II College World Series in Cary, N.C., May 26 to June 2.

Quaker golfers keep pace. Penn remained in 13th place after the second round of the NCAA men's golf regionals in Bowling Green, Ky.

The 13th-seeded Quakers shot 304 as a team, improving their first-round score by nine shots, but are 34 strokes away from the fifth and final NCAA qualifying berth with one round left to play. S Max Marsico continued to lead Penn, shooting a 74 for a 36-hole score of 150.

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