SHIPPENSBURG, Pa.- The West Chester University softball team (20-9, 5-1 PSAC) continued its PSAC East schedule on Friday afternoon when the Golden Rams traveled to Shippensburg for an important PSAC East doubleheader. West Chester captured game one 10-7 but the Golden Rams could not pick up the sweep as they fell in game two 6-1.
Game One: WCU 10 Shippensburg 7
- In the first game of the afternoon, West Chester got off to a fast start scoring four runs in the first inning, which proved to be enough to carry the Golden Rams to the 10-7 victory. These four runs came courtesy of ringing two RBI doubles off the bats of Cat Hammer (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan) and Sara Ercolani (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown East) as they drove in Alyssa Herion (Avon Grove, Pa./Avon Grove), Annamarie Hartman (Phoenix, Ariz./Xavier College Prep) (Hammer), Emily Maseth (Westminster, Md./Westminster) and Hammer (Ercolani).
- Shippensburg was able to get three runs back in the third inning to cut the deficit to 4-3 heading to the fourth. West Chester answered right back in the fourth as Hammer produced another two RBIs this time with a single to left center. Hammer later came around to score on a double into left off the bat of Maseth. This outburst gave the Golden Rams back the 7-3 lead.
- Shippensburg had another three-run inning in the fifth, which trimmed the lead to 7-6 entering the sixth.
- West Chester had an answer once again as the Golden Rams posted another three runs courtesy of RBI singles from Maseth and Madison Kelly (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall) and an RBI fielders choice of the bat of freshman Jamie Klemas (South Brunswick, N.J./South Brunswick), which increased the lead to 10-6 entering the home half of the sixth.
- Shippensburg added one more run in the bottom of the sixth but it was not enough as West Chester went on to win 10-7 to improve to 5-0 in conference play.
- Amanda Houck (Gap, Pa./Pequea Valley) (13-3) got the start and went four innings surrendering eight hits and six runs (four earned) while striking out two. Kelly Tinsman (Ewing, N.J./Notre Dame) entered for the final three innings and surrendered just two hits and one run to pick up the save.
Game Two: WCU 1 Shippensburg 6
- West Chester opened the game with a bang as Herion laced to a double to left to plate Garber and give West Chester the early 1-0 lead after the top of the first.
- This is the only time the Golden Rams would lead or score in game two as Shippensburg quickly answered back with a three-run bottom of the first, another run in the second, and a two run sixth to cruise to the 6-1 victory.
- Maegen Kavanagh (Easton, Pa./Easton) (2-6) got the start and lasted just 0.1 of an inning surrendering three hits and three runs to take the loss. The Golden Rams then proceeded to piece together the final 5.2 innings as Tinsman went 3.2 surrendering seven hits and one unearned run before giving way to #Brooke Harner# (Chadds Ford, Pa./Kennett) who faced threw just one pitch before exiting the game. Jen Hanshaw (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) entered for the final two innings and surrendered four hits and a pair of runs over the course of her two innings.
West Chester is back in action on Sunday afternoon at home when Millersville comes to town for a special senior day doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
