QUAKERTOWN, Pa.- On the heels of its sixth consecutive PSAC East Regular Season Title, the West Chester University softball team (33-17) kicked off its PSAC Tournament opposite the No. 2 seed out of the PSAC West in Seton Hill (28-17). West Chester opened the Tournament with a 5-2 victory over Seton Hill to advance in the winner's bracket for the third year in a row.
After two and a half scoreless innings, Heidi McCollester (West Chester, Pa./Henderson) broke the tie with a two-run home run to deep right field for her team-leading eighth home run of the season to give West Chester the 2-0 lead during the third inning of play.
In the top of the fourth, Seton Hill answered back with a run of its own via solo home run to straightaway center field, which trimmed the Golden Ram lead to 2-1.
In the home half of the fourth, West Chester answered back with three runs of its own to extend the lead to 5-1. Emily Kim (Bel Air, Md./C. Milton Wright) and Bri Garber (Willow Street, Pa./Lampeter-Strasburg) got things rolling for West Chester with a pair of one-out bunt singles to give the Golden Rams runners on first and second. Emily Maseth (Westminster, Md./Westminster) plated Kim with a two-out RBI single before McCollester cleared the bases with a single to center to give West Chester a commanding 5-1 lead.
In the sixth inning, Seton Hill answered back with a run of its own, which cut the Golden Rams lead to 5-2 heading to the home half of the sixth. This would be the extent of the offense as West Chester prevented Seton Hill from pushing any more runs across while Seton Hill did the same opposite the West Chester offense.
When asked about the game one victory McCollester stated, "I think the first game is always the hardest to get so I am very happy that we were able to come out and earn the victory against a good Seton Hill team this afternoon." Additionally, when asked about her two-run home run, McCollester stated: "Seton Hill's starter was pitching outside most of the afternoon so I knew if I was going to get something good I had to go the other way with it and I was able to do that on that pitch."
Reilly Gearhart (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township) (16-6) got the start in the circle and lasted four innings surrendering just one run on four hits and two walks while striking out a pair. Maegen Kavanagh (Easton, Pa./Easton) entered in relief of Gearhart and picked up her team-best fourth save of the spring as she tossed the final three innings scattering just four hits and one run while striking out four to lock down the victory.
This marks the third year in a row that West Chester has started its PSAC Tournament with a victory over a PSAC Western Division foe. Additionally, West Chester improves to 26-8 in games when the Golden Rams open the scoring while also improving to 11-8 when scoring 3-5 runs in the game.
West Chester will play again at 11:30 a.m. tomorrow opposite PSAC East rival Kutztown.
