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WEST CHESTER, Pa. – West Chester pulled off a much-needed conference sweep of PSAC East rival East Stroudsburg on South Campus Tuesday afternoon, taking a 3-2 decision in the opener and an 8-1 verdict in the nightcap.
West Chester (31-16, 8-6 PSAC East) has now won five straight while moving into second place in the PSAC Eastern Division standings thanks to a doubleheader sweep by Shippensburg over Kutztown. East Stroudsburg (18-16, 4-8 PSAC East) is in a tie for fourth place with Millersville. West Chester wins the season series with ESU, 3 games to 1.
The Golden Rams eclipsed 30 wins in a season for the first time since 2011 and the fourth time in the last six years. West Chester won a school-record 34 games in 2011.
Jess Schuck hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning of game two and finished with five RBI in the nightcap to lead the Golden Rams’ offensive explosion. She also doubled in a pair of runs in the sixth. The first three batters in WCU’s order were all 2-for-3. Kelly Anderson scored twice while J.P. Norris scored three times.
Kim Murl (5-1) went the distance inside the circle in game two and picked up the win. She allowed one unearned run on six hits, did not walk a batter, and struck out one. She also helped her own cause with a two-run single in the first that put West Chester on top, 2-0.
West Chester scored two runs in the third and one unearned tally in the fourth to pull out a 3-2 win. Lauren Altenburger reached on an error by East Stroudsburg’s right-fielder. Katie Erb was inserted to run for Altenburger, and she eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by Anderson.
Devon Utterback (17-7) allowed just three hits the rest of the way to pick up her 17th win of the season. She yielded seven hits in a complete-game effort, giving up two runs, walking two and striking out one.
Ali Vavala finished 2-for-2, extending her hit streak to seven straight games. Murl hit a RBI double during a two-run third. Anderson went 1-for-2 with a run scored and a RBI.
West Chester travels to Millersville on Saturday for its final regular-season doubleheader against the Marauders. One win in that twinbill would clinch a postseason berth for the Golden Rams in the PSAC Tournament, which will be held next week in Quakertown, Pa.
