CLEARWATER, Fl.- The West Chester University softball team (0-5) was back in action on Sunday morning against West Florida (8-1) in what was the final day of the 2019 NFCA DII Leadoff Classic. West Chester grabbed an early lead in this contest, however, a late offensive outburst from West Florida proved to be too much in the 8-3 defeat.
In the bottom of the first, West Chester got on the board early thanks to some crafty base running that featured two steals of home by junior
Bri Garber (Willow Street, Pa./Lampeter-Strasburg) and sophomore
Annamarie Hartman (Phoenix, Ariz./Xavier College Prep), which gave the Golden Rams an early 2-0 lead over the Argos.
West Florida answered back with a steal of home of its own during the top half of the fourth to make the score 2-1 in favor of West Chester. In the next half inning, West Chester had a quick answer for its opponent as sophomore
Jamie Klemas (South Brunswick, N.J./South Brunswick) singled home senior
Heidi McCollester (West Chester, Pa./Henderson) to restore the Golden Rams two-run advantage making the score 3-1 heading to the fifth.
In the top of the fifth, the Argos launched their rally, which culminated with a bases-clearing triple to give West Florida a 4-3 advantage midway through the contest.
In the seventh inning, West Florida registered another four runs thanks in part to another bases-clearing triple and a pair of RBI singles to claim a commanding 8-3 lead heading to the bottom of the seventh.
Freshman
Rachel Butler (West Grove, Pa./Avon Grove) got her first career start in the circle on Sunday morning and she pitched well as she went two innings scattering just two hits while striking out one.
Jen Hanshaw (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) (0-1) entered in relief of Butler and she lasted the next four innings surrendering 11 hits and seven runs while walking one and striking out two in the loss.
Kelly Tinsman (Ewing, N.J./Notre Dame) and
Maegen Kavanagh (Easton, Pa./Easton) split the final inning as Tinsman went 0.1 surrendering one hit and one run while also walking one before Kavanagh entered to get the final two outs surrendering one hit while also striking out one.
Tori Perkins got the ball for the Argos and she went the distance surrendering four hits, three runs (two earned), and one walk while fanning five Golden Ram batters.
West Chester will be back in action on Friday, February 22
nd at Bowie State beginning at 2 p.m. en route to the Golden Rams next Tournament-the Hawks Classic hosted by Chowan University.
