Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2
SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – West Chester University took a pair of extra-inning contests on the road from 20th-ranked Shippensburg to cap one of the most successful weekends in a number of years for the Golden Rams.
West Chester (29-16, 6-6 PSAC East) evened its conference record with a 4-2 win in 10 innings that was followed by an 8-4 triumph in eight innings. Shippensburg (25-8, 7-3) lost more games Sunday in conference play than it had all season to this point. With the sweep, West Chester split the season series against PSAC East leading Shippensburg, 2-2.
The Golden Rams finished this weekend 3-1 against a pair of nationally ranked opponents as well as the top two ranked teams in the NCAA Atlantic Region poll. West Chester split its doubleheader at No. 8 Cal on Saturday. The Rams were ranked fifth in last week’s regional poll.
When asked if she thought this weekend sent a statement to the rest of the PSAC and the Atlantic Region, WCU head coach Diane Lokey responded, “I think it does. We talked about being more consistent earlier in the year. I think we have that consistency now. When we play the way in which I know we are capable, we can play with anybody.”
The Golden Rams scored all eight of their runs in game two with two outs. West Chester evened the score at 1-1 in the top of the sixth when Jess Schuck hit a two-out double to center. Kim Begley was inserted to run for Schuck, and Kim Murl followed with a run-scoring single to right.
Shippensburg answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth to take a 3-1 lead. However, West Chester rallied once again with two outs in the top of the seventh. Ali Vavala beat out an infield hit that sparked a three-run rally. Megan Kelly doubled Vavala home to get things started. After Shippensburg pitched around Kelly Anderson and the Raiders walked her, J.P. Norris made them pay with a two-run double to put the Rams in front, 4-3.
However, the host Raiders knotted the score once again with a tally in the bottom of the seventh that sent things into extra innings.
Erin Quense and Laura Altenburger then hit back-to-back doubles with two outs in the eighth, and Vavala and Kelly followed with back-to-back singles. Kelly’s single through the left side chased home Shauna Byrnes, who was pinch-running for Altenburger, and Vavala. It was her second and third RBI in her last two previous plate appearances.
“There is no quit in this team,” Lokey added. “They keep fighting. I think we showed that today with our rallies. They are a confident bunch right now.”
Anderson walked, and then Norris singled home Kelly to put West Chester in front, 8-4. That was all Devon Utterback (16-7) needed to pick up her second win inside the circle on the day. She came on in relief of Murl with one out in the sixth. She pitched 2.2 innings, yielding one run on three hits, walking one and striking out one. Murl started and lasted 5.1 innings. She surrendered three runs, only two of them earned, on four hits, walked one and struck out two.
The Nos. 8 and 9 hitters in West Chester’s lineup were a combined 4-for-8 with four runs scored and three RBI. Norris finished game two 2-for-5 with three RBI as well.
In the opener, Jill Murray hit her third home run of the season in the top of the sixth inning to knot things up at 2-2. The two combatants then played three scoreless frames, before West Chester posted a two-spot in the top of the 10th to pick up the win.
Anderson singled home Kelly in the 10th, who was placed on second per international tie-breaking rules. She later came around and scored on a sacrifice fly by Jess Schuck, which was misplayed by the center fielder.
Utterback went the distance, giving up two runs on eight hits in 10 innings of work. She walked three and struck out six.
Norris singled to right in the fifth inning that plated Kelly and tied the game at 1-apiece. Shippensburg answered with a go-ahead run in the bottom of the fifth on a two-out, infield single. That is when Murray went deep to left to tie things up once again.
West Chester’s 29 wins surpasses its total of 28 from a year ago. The Golden Rams are on the verge of reaching 30 wins for the first time since 2011 and the fourth time in the last six seasons.
West Chester hosts East Stroudsburg in another PSAC East doubleheader on Tuesday on South Campus. First pitch is at 2:30 p.m.
