WEST CHESTER, Pa.- Heidi McCollester (West Chester, Pa./Henderson) registered three home runs in what was a career day for the senior catcher to help lead West Chester (13-10) to a thrilling sweep of non-conference foe Pace (1-3) on a chilly, Monday afternoon. West Chester captured game one by a final score of 10-8 before winning game two 6-5 in eight innings.
Game One: WCU 10 Pace 8
- McCollester opened the scoring early in the first inning as she drilled the 3-2 offering over the center field fence, which also scored Emily Kim (Bel Air, Md./C. Milton Wright), thus, giving the Golden Rams an early 2-0 lead.
- Pace answered back with a run of its own during the top of the second, which trimmed the West Chester lead to 2-1. However, the Golden Rams got this run right back during the home half of the inning as Reilly Gearhart (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township) (7-4) registered an RBI groundout, which scored Tori McCoach (Langhorne, Pa./Conwell-Egan) to give the purple and gold a 3-1 lead.
- In the bottom of the fifth, West Chester saw its lead grow exponentially as the Golden Rams scored five runs thanks to RBI singles from Gearhart and Bri Garber (Willow Street, Pa./Lampeter Strasburg) and another two-run home run off the bat of McCollester to claim a commanding 8-1 lead.
- Unfortunately, this lead did not last as Pace answered back with seven runs of its own between the fifth and sixth innings to even the score at 8-8.
- In the home half of the sixth, Annamarie Hartman (Phoenix, Ariz./Xavier College Prep) restored the Golden Rams lead with a sac fly to left, which scored Garber, thus, giving the Golden Rams a 9-8 lead. This lead grew moments later as Courtney Stump (Kutztown, Pa./Kutztown) recorded an RBI single to plate McCollester, which gave the Golden Rams the 10-8 lead that they would never relinquish.
- Kelly Tinsman (Ewing, N.J./Notre Dame) got the start for West Chester and went 4.2 scattering seven hits and five runs (two earned) while also striking out a pair in the no-decision. Maegen Kavanagh (Easton, Pa./Easton) entered in relief and lasted just 0.1 of an inning surrendering one hit and two walks along with two earned runs before exiting in favor of Gearhart. Gearhart went the final two innings scattering just two hits and one run while striking out three to earn the victory in relief.
Game Two: WCU 6 Pace 5 (8 Innings)
- In the second game of the afternoon, it was Pace's turn to claim an early 4-1 lead as the Setters recorded four runs in the opening four frames while a fielder's choice from Hartman netted the Golden Rams lone run heading to the fifth.
- In the bottom half of the fifth trailing 4-1, West Chester began to mount its comeback with an RBI single from Kim, which plated Emily Maseth (Westminster, Md./Westminster) to cut the deficit to 4-1. Moments later, McCollester continued her huge afternoon as she connected on a three-run shot to left center that gave West Chester its first lead of the contest at 6-5.
- Unfortunately, this lead did not last as Pace answered back with a run of its own during the seventh to even the score at 7-7.
- In the home half of the eighth, sophomore Jaime Klemas (South Brunswick, N.J./South Brunswick) sent the home crowd home happy with a SAC Fly to right that plated the speedy Hartman to lift the purple and gold to a thrilling 6-5 comeback victory over Pace.
- Gearhart earned the start in game two and lasted six innings surrendering seven hits and five runs two earned) while walking one and striking out four before exiting in favor of sophomore Jen Hanshaw (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) (2-1). Hanshaw was impressive in her two innings of relief as she did not allow a base runner to reach against her while striking out a pair of Setters to record her second victory of the young season on Monday afternoon.
Up Next:
West Chester will be back in action on Wednesday afternoon in a doubleheader against Chestnut Hill beginning at 2 p.m.
Â
