Box Score
CALIFORNIA, Pa. – West Chester University opened the 2011 PSAC Softball Tournament with a 6-5 win over Lock Haven Thursday morning. Abby Block went 2-for-4 with a home run, a double and three RBI to pace the offensive effort at Lilly Field on the campus of California (Pa.) University.
West Chester (31-17) has now won 10 of its last 12 contests and plays host Cal (28-10) at 3 p.m. in the next game of the double-elimination, three-team pod.
Block put West Chester on top with a two-out, solo home run in the top of the first. It was her 10th of the season, tying Katie Kmiecinski for the team lead. She later doubled in a pair of runs during a four-run fifth that put the Golden Rams on top, 5-1. Kmiecinski and Erin MacNamee added RBI singles in the fifth as well.
Starter Devon Utterback (15-5) didn’t run into trouble until she gave up three runs on three hits. Still, two of those three runs were unearned. Up to that point, the sophomore had scattered four hits over six innings, surrendering just two runs – a bases loaded walk in the third and a sacrifice fly in the fifth. She gave up five runs on seven hits, but did walk five batters.
Kelly Anderson went 2-for-2 with a run scored in her first college playoff game.
Sarah Morse (12-7) suffered the loss inside the circle for the Lady Eagles. She lasted five innings, yielding five earned runs on eight hits. Nicole Smith came on in relief and finished up, surrendering one run on one hit, walking two and striking out one.
