Box Score CALIFORNIA, Pa. – West Chester University hit three home runs, and senior right-handed pitcher
Kim Murl picked up her 20th win of the season, as the Golden Rams topped 12th-ranked California (Pa.), 6-3, in an NCAA DII Atlantic Region 1 Tournament game at Lilley Field Saturday afternoon.
West Chester (38-19), who set a new school record for wins in a single season, advances to the Atlantic Region 1 Championship Game Sunday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. The Golden Rams will play either Cal (36-6), or Bloomsburg (28-18) - whoever comes out of the loser's bracket following the rest of the action Saturday. That eventual opponent will have to beat West Chester twice on Sunday to wrestle the title away from the Golden Rams.
Murl helped out her own cause in the bottom of the first inning when she hit a two-out, two-run homer to left-center off Cal starter Kaity Davis (12-3). The Rams posted two more runs in the bottom of the second when
Jill Murray started things off with a double to left that chased Davis. West Chester greeted reliever Alex Sagl with three consecutive singles that eventually pushed home Murray, and
Kelly Anderson later hit a sacrifice fly to make it a 4-0 ballgame.
Cal's Brianna Morris hit a towering, two-run home run to left in the top of the fourth inning, cutting the Golden Rams' lead in half. With one out and one on in the top of the fifth, the skies opened up and play was halted for 104 minutes.
Following the delay,
Jess Schuck connected on her fifth home run of the season with two outs in the bottom of the fifth that nudged the lead back to three (5-2). Then, Murray hit her fourth home run of the season, and 14th of her career, in the bottom of the sixth to re-establish West Chester's four-run lead.
"It felt good off the bat. But, I originally, thought that I hit it too high," Murray said.
Cal tacked on a run in the seventh, before being retired to end the game.
Murray is 4-for-6 with three extra-base hits in West Chester's two regional games. Altogether, Murray is hitting .316 (6-for-19) in the postseason, including three doubles, one triple and one home run. Her adjustments at the plate are what have her enjoying one of her best postseasons.
"I moved back in the box to give me a little more reaction time," Murray explained. "I think that has really helped. I'm seeing the ball better, especially the higher pitches.
Schuck finished 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored and a RBI. Both Murrray and junior
Erin Quense went 2-for-3 as well for the Golden Rams.
Kim Begley was 1-for-3 with a RBI single.
Murl tossed a complete game, yielding three runs, only two of them earned, on six hits. She walked one and struck out two. She threw 100 pitches and induced 14 ground outs in the game.
NOTES: West Chester evened its all-time record in the NCAA Tournament at 6-6 with the win … West Chester has now won 9 of its last 10 games played at Lilley Field on the campus of California University of Pa. … West Chester's win was No. 301 for head coach Diane Lokey while with the Golden Rams' program … she is the school's all-time winningest softball coach … West Chester improves to 3-1 all-time against Cal in the NCAA Tournament and 4-2 overall in postseason play (including the PSAC Tournament) … West Chester has won 4 of the last 5 meetings with Cal … West Chester is 3-0 against nationally ranked opponents on that opponent's own home field … WCU swept a doubleheader from No. 17 Shippensburg on the road earlier in the season … Kim Murl joins former WCU pitchers Shannon Padula and Devon Utterback as the only hurlers in school history to win 20 games in a single season.
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