Box Score
CALIFORNIA, Pa. – West Chester University scored eight runs in the top of the seventh inning en route to a 12-7 win over Lock Haven University to clinch its three-team, double-elimination pod of the 2011 PSAC Softball Tournament Friday morning at Lilly Field.
West Chester (33-17) swept its three games, defeating Lock Haven twice and 20th-ranked Cal in the process. The Golden Rams will travel to Kutztown next Friday and face No. 24 Indiana (Pa.) at 11 a.m. in the first round of the PSAC Championship, double-elimination, tournament. Kutztown is the other semifinalist and will play the loser of the IUP-West Chester contest at 1 p.m.
“These wins (this weekend) were huge for our confidence,” head coach Diane Lokey said. “This is exciting for our program. I think we are building our team chemistry with every win, and we have a great combination of talent that is blending well right now.
“Our message all year long to the kids was that we can compete with anybody as long as we keep improving on the three key components to our game: pitching, defense and quality at-bats.”
J.P. Norris and Abby Block hit back-to-back home runs to spark West Chester’s decisive eight-run seventh inning. Kelly Anderson hit a RBI double, and Megan Kelly and Erin MacNamee each registered run-scoring singles in the frame. Lock Haven committed two errors in the field, which opened the door to the big inning.
The Lady Eagles pushed across three runs in the bottom half of the seventh, but could not complete the comeback against West Chester reliever Devon Utterback (16-5), who threw the final 4 2/3 innings, surrendering four runs on seven hits while walking two and striking out three.
“Closing out games has been our weakness this season,” Lokey added. “So, as many runs as you can get is always going to be an advantage. It got tight again in the bottom of the seventh. But, our players pulled it out.”
Norris finished the game 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI and a pair of runs scored. Block went 2-for-5 with a pair of RBI and two runs scored as well. Katie Kmiecinski was 2-for-4 with two RBI. MacNamee and Kelly also finished with two hits in the game.
With the win, West Chester set a new single-season record for wins at 33. The Golden Rams have won 32 games or more in three of the last four years and show an overall record of 125-77 during that span.
The Golden Rams’ return trip to the final round of the PSAC Softball Tournament leaves them with a 6-1 mark in the conference postseason tournament over the last two years. Of the three teams convening in Kutztown next weekend, only West Chester is a repeat entrant. Last year, the Golden Rams joined Cal and Bloomsburg in the final round.
West Chester entered this weekend ranked 10th in the NCAA Atlantic Region. The Golden Rams must wait and see where the regional committee ranks them next Wednesday after their 3-0 performance at Cal. West Chester picked up two wins over seventh-ranked Lock Haven and one win over fourth-ranked Cal. The top eight ranked teams in the region qualify for the NCAA Tournament.
2011 PSAC Softball Championships
(at Kutztown, Pa.)
Friday, April 29
Game 1 - Indiana (Pa.) vs. West Chester, 11 a.m.
Game 2 - Kutztown vs. Game 1 loser, 1 p.m.
Game 3 – Kutztown vs. Game 1 winner, 3 p.m.
Saturday, April 30
Game 4 – 12 p.m.
Game 5 – 2 p.m. (if necessary)
