CLEARWATER, Fl.- On the heels of a hard-fought extra-inning setback (story to come), the No. 8 West Chester University softball team (0-2) was back in action against Hillsdale (2-0) in what was the second and final game of the day for the Golden Rams. West Chester put together a late rally, but it was not enough to earn the victory in the 8-5 setback.
Hillsdale started off quickly as the Chargers scored their first run of the game in the top half of the first, courtesy of a double steal that saw leadoff batter execute a successful steal of home, thus, making the score 1-0 heading to the bottom of the first.
In the top of the second, Hillsdale added another two runs courtesy of an RBI single and a sac fly to extend the lead to 3-0 before adding another two runs in the third, which made the score 5-0 in favor of the Chargers.
Hillsdale would add one more run in the fourth inning to stretch the lead to 6-0. In the home half of the fourth inning, West Chester began battling back as the Golden Rams scored three runs on two hits and one error by the Chargers. The inning began Courtney Stump (Kutztown, Pa./Kutztown) reached on a throwing error before advancing to second on a fielders choice off the bat of Gillian Thomas (Spring Mills, W.V./Williamsport). Following a wild pitch Thomas and pinch runner Caroline Adams (Media, Pa./Renaissance Academy) where both in scoring position on second and third. A ringing double off the bat of sophomore Jamie Klemas (South Brunswick, N.J./South Brunswick) plated both Adams and Thomas to make the score 6-2. Alisha Patel (Burlington, N.J./Burlington Township) followed this up with an RBI single to trim the deficit to 6-3 heading to the fifth inning.
In the fifth inning, Hillsdale added one more run to extend their lead to 7-3 heading to the home half of the inning. The Golden Rams answered back with an RBI double off the bat of Stump that scored senior Heidi McCollester (West Chester, Pa./Henderson) who had worked a walk earlier in the inning. This double trimmed the deficit to 7-4 heading to the sixth.
In the sixth inning, Hillsdale had an answer once again as the Chargers added one more run to extend the lead back to four runs at 8-4.
West Chester put together one last late rally in the home half of the seventh as the freshman Thomas drove in Emily Maseth (Westminster, Md./Westminster) to make the score 8-5. Unfortunately, Hillsdale managed to get the third out that it needed to give the Chargers the 8-5 victory.
Kelly Tinsman (Ewing, N.J./Notre Dame) (0-1) got the ball in this contest and lasted 1.1 surrendering six hits and three runs while registering one strikeout. Meagen Kavanagh (Easton, Pa./Easton) entered in relief of Tinsman and lasted one inning as well surrendering two runs on two hits and three walks before exiting for Jen Hanshaw (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley). Hanshaw finished the game for the Golden Rams going 4.2 scattering seven hits and three runs while registering five strikeouts for the Golden Rams.
Natalie Walters (1-0) took the ball for Hillsdale as she went three innings surrendering two hits, three runs (two earned), and a pair of walks while also walking two. Julia Sayles and Camryn Olson finished the game for the Chargers as they went the final four innings combining to surrender four hits, two runs, and a pair of walks in the victory.
West Chester will be back in action with another doubleheader tomorrow as the Golden Rams will face Tampa beginning at 10 a.m. tomorrow morning before squaring off against Lee (Tn.) tomorrow afternoon at 2:30 p.m. Following this matchup, the Golden Rams will play one more game in Florida on Sunday when they square off against West Florida before returning north later Sunday afternoon.
