Game One
Game Two
WEST CHESTER, Pa. – On a sunny but windy afternoon, West Chester University set a number of NCAA records in its doubleheader sweep over Lincoln University in the season opener for both schools at West Chester’s softball field.
Lincoln (0-2) made its NCAA varsity debut on Sunday. West Chester (2-0) opened its 2008 slate with a pair of convincing victories. The Golden Rams topped the Lions, 48-0, in game one and 30-0 in game two, one-hitting Lincoln in each tilt.
Junior Shannon Padula (1-0) threw four innings in game one to record the win. She allowed one hit and struck out nine. Megan Graham relieved Padula in the fifth and struck out two without yielding a base runner.
Megan Layburn was 5-for-5 as well with three RBI and four runs scored, and Padula went 5-for-5 at the plate with five RBI and four runs scored. Stefani Kerbacher was 3-for-3 with four RBI. Tara Colantuono scored five runs for the Golden Rams. Meghan Halberstadt went 4-for-5 with four RBI and four runs scored. Jackie DiPaola went 4-for-5 with a game-high six RBI and five runs scored.
In the nightcap, Graham started and threw the first two innings, allowing one hit, walking one and striking out five. Ashley Saussaman tossed the final three innings, striking out nine and walking one without allowing a hit to earn her first career win.
Bria Scheb went 4-for-5 with three RBI while Kelsey Rapp went 1-for-2 with four RBI. Megan Layburn was 2-for-3 with three RBI. She went 7-for-8 with six RBI combined in the twinbill. Megan Harbaugh was 3-for-3 with four RBI, including a three-run home run.
Latoya Milstrey (0-2) took the loss for Lincoln in each game. Tanina Cook registered both hits on the afternoon for the Lions, going 1-for-2 in each contest.
West Chester’s 48 runs scored set a new NCAA Division II record and is the second most runs scored in a college softball contest at any level. The Golden Rams also set NCAA team records for runs scored in an inning (24 in the bottom of the third inning of game one), runs batted in and largest margin of victory (48). West Chester’s 44 total bases in game one of the doubleheader was the fourth highest total in a single game in a Division II softball game.
West Chester’s softball squad travels to Florence, S.C., on Friday for a five-game tournament over the weekend. The Golden Rams will take on Shepherd at 3 p.m. in the first contest.
