WILMINGTON, Del.- The West Chester University softball team (19-12) took to the road on Tuesday afternoon for a non-conference matchup opposite a strong Wilmington (13-8) team. West Chester dropped game one by a final of 9-8 in 10 innings before dropping game two by a final of 7-3.
Game One:
- In the top of the second, West Chester raced out to an early lead courtesy of an RBI double from Jaime Klemas (South Brunswick, N.J./South Brunswick), which gave the Golden Rams an early 1-0 lead. This lead grew moments later as Emily Maseth (Westminster, Md./Westminster) reached on an error, which scored Klemas to give the Golden Rams a 2-0 lead.
- However, this lead was short lived as Wilmington answered back with four runs of its own during the home half of the second to take a 4-2 lead.
- West Chester answered back with another three runs of its own thanks to some sloppy defense from Wilmington and a SAC Fly from Klemas to allow the purple and gold to reclaim a 5-4 lead.
- Bri Garber (Willow Grove, Pa./Lampeter-Strasburg) extended the lead during the top of the fourth with a single to right, which scored Emily Kim (Westminster,Md./Westminster), thus, allowing the Golden Rams to claim a 6-4 lead.
- Wilmington answered back with a run of its own during the home half of the inning, which cut the deficit back to one before Garber scampered home on a passed ball during the top of the sixth to restore a slim two-run lead (7-5).
- Unfortunately, the Wildcats answered right back with two more runs of their own during the home half of the sixth, which sent the game to the seventh tied at 7-7.
- In the seventh, Maseth restored the Golden Rams lead with a SAC Fly to left, which scored Klemas to give the purple and gold the 8-7 lead once again.
- In the home half of the seventh, Wilmington had an answer once again as the Wildcats plated a run to even the score at 8-8 before capturing the victory in the bottom of the 10th by a final score of 9-8.
- Reilly Gearhart (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township) got the start in the circle and lasted 5.1 surrendering 11 hits and seven runs (two earned) while striking out one in the no-decision. Jen Hanshaw (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) (4-2) entered in relief of Gearhart and pitched the final 4.1 scattering two hits and two unearned runs while striking out two in the loss.
Game Two:
- In the top of the third, Maseth drove in the first run of the contest via an RBI single up the middle, which scored Gillian Thomas (Spring Mills, W.V./Williamsport) to give the purple and gold an early 1-0 lead.
- Unfortunately, this lead did not last as Wilmington exploded for seven runs during the home half of the fifth to claim a commanding 7-1 lead.
- In the top of the seventh, West Chester attempted to mount a comeback as Heidi McCollester (West Chester, Pa./Henderson) recorded an RBI single before Tori McCoach (Langhorne, Pa./Conwell Egan) delivered an RBI double, which trimmed the deficit to 7-3. Unfortunately, this is all West Chester would get as Wilmington closed out the contest to earn the 7-3 victory over West Chester.
- Hanshaw (4-3) took the loss in game two as well after going four innings surrendering nine hits and five earned runs before giving way to Maegen Kavanagh (Easton, Pa./Easton) who lasted just 0.2 of an inning allowing two runs (one earned) on one hit and three walks. Kelly Tinsman (Ewing, N.J./Notre Dame) entered for the final 1.1 and did not allow a base runner while striking out one in what proved to be a losing effort for the Golden Rams.
Up Next:
West Chester will now turn its attention to PSAC East play, which is set to begin on Friday afternoon on the road at Kutztown at 1 p.m. before the Golden Rams return home to face the Shippensburg Raiders at 1 p.m. on Saturday afternoon.
