Box Score
QUAKERTOWN, Pa. – Devon Utterback scattered four hits over seven innings and kept Lock Haven off balance all day as West Chester opened play in the 2013 PSAC Softball Tournament with a 4-1 win over the Lady Eagles at Veteran’s Park in Quakertown Wednesday morning.
West Chester (33-17) has now won seven of its last eight while Lock Haven (28-13) has dropped its last five contests.
The Golden Rams scored one run in the first, two more in the fifth and tacked on another in the sixth. They scored four runs on eight hits and did not make an error. Utterback (19-7) walked just one and struck out four Lady Eagles. Lock Haven committed four errors in the field that led to a pair of unearned runs.
Kim Murl singled to right, scoring J.P. Norris from second in the top of the first inning to put West Chester on top, 1-0. Norris had singled up the middle and stole second base. Lock Haven tied the score in the fourth when Nicole Smith led off with a double, was sacrificed over to third and later scored on a ground out.
West Chester took the lead for good in the fifth, benefitting from a pair of throwing errors by the Lady Eagles. Ali Vavala led off with a bunt single, and Megan Kelly sacrificed her to second. Kelly Anderson then came up and grounded the ball to third base. LHU’s third baseman overthrew first, allowing Vavala to move up to third and Anderson to continue to second. When Lock Haven’s first baseman retrieved the ball, she made a poor throw to the plate in an attempt to get Vavala, who was safe, while Anderson coasted over to third. Norris followed with an infield single, scoring Anderson.
In the sixth, Vavala reached on a fielding error by Lock Haven’s pitcher, who could not pick up the ball. She stole second, and Anderson followed up one batter later with a double down the left field line with two outs that scored Vavala easily.
West Chester’s top five hitters in the order were a combined 5-for-15 with three RBI. Vavala went 1-for-3 with a pair of runs scored. Norris was 2-for-4 with a run scored and a RBI.
West Chester advances to the winner’s bracket of the tournament and will play the winner of Kutztown vs. Mercyhurst tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m. back at Quakertown’s Veteran’s Park.
