Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 WEST CHESTER, Pa. – West Chester women's softball on the back of dominant pitching, swept the Kutztown Golden Bears by scores of 5-3 and 7-2 to clinch first place in the PSAC Eastern Division Saturday afternoon on South Campus.
The Golden Rams (38-12, 22-6 PSAC) conclude the regular season in first place in the PSAC East for the second year in a row. It was also Senior Day where each was recognized in a ceremony before the first pitch was thrown. Kutztown (30-16, 16-12 PSAC) will head into the tournament as the third seed and came in ranked in the top-eight in the region.
Seniors
Erin Whiteman (Harrisburg, Pa. / Central Dauphin),
Charlotte Conaway (Radnor, Pa. / Radnor) and
Alison Vavala (Doylestown, Pa. / Central Bucks East) all made huge contributions in the Golden Rams doubleheader sweep of the Golden Bears. Whitman went a combined 3-for-7 with a first pitch home run to go back-to-back with teammate
Sarah Derstine (Telford, Pa. / Souderton) in game two to put the Golden Rams in front from one-run to five-run lead. She also knocked in two RBIs and scored a run in game two, to go with two singles in game one. Vavala added two doubles, two runs scored and an RBI to her 3-for-6 day. Conaway capped off the trio launching a solo-shot over the left field as part of her two RBIs, while also scoring two runs on the base paths.
The first-year pitching duo of
Amanda Houck (Gap, PA / Pequea Valley) Â and
Brooke Harner (Chadds Ford, PA / Kennett) frustrated the competition once again as Houck after allowing three runs in the first three innings, shutdown the Kutztown offense for her team-leading 18th win in game one. Harner on the other hand was dominant from the beginning with a three-strikeout top-of-the-first, which would set the tone for the whole game. She went five-straight innings of perfect baseball before a soft-blooper fell in the infield following up with a two-run homer. The freshman would still put on a show with a season-high 14 strikeouts and allowing two runs on just one hit.
Derstine had an amazing day at the plate with a home run and a triple to lead the team with four RBIs and rounding the bases three times.
Madison Kelly (Whitehall, PA / Whitehall) scored two runs from a 2-for-3 slate from the plate in a game-two start. Pinch-hitter,
Cat Hammer Â
Philadelphia, Pa. / Archbishop Ryan) came away hitting a clutch double down the left field line to give a the Golden Rams the 5-3 decision and added a 2-for-3 spot in game two as well.
West Chester will compete in the Pennsylvania Conference tournament on Wednesday, April 29th in Quakertown.
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