West Chester Splits Twinbill With USciences

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

WEST CHESTER, Pa.  – Sara Ercolani (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown East) hit a three-run homer, and Ashley Flesch (Burke, Va./Lake Braddock) got West Chester out of a jam in game two, as the host Golden Rams split a non-league softball doubleheader with University of the Sciences Thursday afternoon.
 
West Chester (21-3), ranked 18th in the country entering the twinbill, dropped the opener, 4-3, but rebounded to win the second game, 5-3, over USciences (2-9).
 
Ercolani's three-run blast in the bottom of the second inning of game two staked the Rams to a 4-0 lead early on. The Devils hit a solo home run in the fifth, one of three homers in the two games for the visitors, and then smashed a two-run shot in the sixth. But, Flesch came on with two outs in the sixth and runners on first and second to retire the side for her first career save.
 
Sarah Walasavage (Minersville, Pa./Minersville) had a RBI ground out in the first to give West Chester a 1-0 lead, and Lauren Scarpato suicide squeezed home Lexi Trumbetti (Burlington Twp., N.J./Burlington Twp.), who had come on to pinch run for Laura Altenburger (Feasterville, Pa./Neshaminy), who led off the inning with a double.
 
Brooke Harner (Chadds Ford, Pa./Kennett) improved to 7-0 on the year with the win in game two. She threw 5.2 innings, allowing three runs on three hits and taking a no-hitter into the fifth inning. She walked four and struck out four. Flesch finished up, allowing one run in 1.1 innings of work.
 
In the opener, West Chester scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, highlighted by a two-run homer from Alyssa Herion (Avon Grove, Pa./Avon Grove), but gave up an unearned run in the top of the seventh to drop a 4-3 decision.
 
Ercolani went 2-for-3 with a double in the first game. Amanda Houck (Gap, Pa./Paquea Valley) suffered the loss, allowing three earned runs on five hits while walking four and striking out 10.
 
West Chester travels to Philadelphia University on Sunday for another non-league doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m.