WEST CHESTER, Pa.- The West Chester University softball team (28-9) returned home this afternoon to take on Holy Family on what was a cold and rainy day at the West Chester softball field. West Chester took both games winning game one 15-4 before taking game two 9-0.
Jen Hanshaw (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) (1-0) and
Maegen Kavanagh (Easton, Pa./Easton) (3-6) got the starting nods in this afternoons doubleheader and they both pitched well to earn their victories this afternoon.
Game One: WCU 15 Holy Family 4
- Holy Family jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning after a leadoff single, which was followed by a two-run home run to take the early lead.
- This lead did not last long as West Chester responded with a nine run bottom of the first to take control of the game. Cat Hammer (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan) and Sara Ercolani (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown East) plated the first runs of the game for West Chester thanks to a pair of two-RBI doubles to give West Chester the 4-2 lead. This lead grew even further still thanks to a pair of RBI singles from Bri Garber (Willow Street, Pa./Lampeter-Strasburg) and Jamie Klemas (South Brunswick, N.J./South Brunswick), which increased the lead to 6-2. Madison Kelly (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall) followed the RBI single from Garber up with a towering three-run home run to make the score 9-2 in favor of the Golden Rams.
- Holy Family got one back in the bottom of the third, when Kelsey Marigliano took advantage of a wild pitch and scampered home to cut the deficit to 9-3.
- In the bottom of the fourth, West Chester put the game out of reach thanks to RBI singles from Courtney Stump (Kutztown, Pa./Kutztown) and Garber along with a Kelly hit by pitch and a ringing two-RBI double from Alyssa Herion (Avon Grove, Pa./Avon Grove), which made the score 15-3 heading to the fifth.
- Holy Family added one more in the top of the fifth, but West Chester managed to slam the door and take the 15-4 win.
- Hanshaw picked up her first collegiate victory going four innings scattering just four hits and three runs while striking out one to pick up the victory. Brooke Harner (Chadds Ford, Pa./Kennett) entered for the final inning and she surrendered three hits and one run over her one inning of work to close out the game.
Game Two: WCU 9 Holy Family 0
- West Chester was right back at it in game two as the Golden Rams quickly plated three runs in the bottom of the first thanks to an RBI double from Herion, some impressive base running from Kelly who scored on a wild pitch and an RBI groundout from Hammer gave the Golden Rams a quick 3-0 cushion.
- In the bottom of the second, it was more of the same as West Chester scored another two runs thanks to an RBI sac fly from Garber and an RBI single from Kelly to extend the lead to 5-0.
- The lead grew one more time in the bottom of the third, when Klemas hit a grand slam over the left center field fence to make the score 9-0.
- This run support was more than enough for Kavanagh who was sharp all afternoon scattering just four hits while striking out four over the course of her five innings of work.
West Chester continues to be a tough adversary at home as the Golden Rams have now taken eight of their last 10 home games in six innings or less.
West Chester will be back in action on Wednesday afternoon at 2 p.m. when Wilmington comes to the friendly confines for another non-conference doubleheader.
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