Back-to-Back Atlantic Regional Champions! Softball Downs Shepherd to Capture Atlantic Regional Title

WEST CHESTER, Pa.- For just the second time in program history, the West Chester University softball team (39-20) entered Day Two of the Super Regionals just one win away from advancing to the National Finals for what would be just the third time in program history after a dominant 10-1 victory over Shepherd (42-18) to open the Super Regional a day ago. The home half of the third proved to be the turning point in game one for the second day in a row as Shepherd claimed a 4-1 lead that it would never relinquish in the 7-1 victory to force a decisive, winner take all game three. In the second game of the day and final game of the Super Regional, West Chester used a steady offensive attack to claim a 4-3 victory and earn its second consecutive Atlantic Region Championship.

"What a day, I think you had to have your heart checked at the end of that game," quipped Head Coach Diane Lokey "It was a great battle by both teams going at each other until the final out. I am extremely proud of our team and I think that the season we have had with the rigors of our schedule went a very long way in preparing us for this moment. I could not be more proud of this team and how they have responded all season and how they responded to a tough loss earlier in the day.  All year I have asked this team to be great and this is how they responded" stated the Golden Rams veteran mentor.
 

Game One: Shepherd 7 West Chester 1

In the top of the second, Heidi McCollester (West Chester, Pa./Henderson) got things started with a double to right center before coming around to score on a sac fly from Jaime Klemas (South Brunswick, N.J./South Brunswick) to give West Chester an early 1-0 lead.

This lead held up until the home half of the third when Shepherd exploded for four runs to claim a commanding 4-1 lead. 

In the top of the fifth, West Chester loaded the bases but failed to score any to send the game to the bottom of the fifth with the score still locked at 4-1. 

In the bottom of the fifth, Shepherd pushed another run across with just one out, which closed the book on Reilly Gearhart (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township) (17-8) who lasted just 4.1 surrendering six runs on eight hits while striking out three.  Shepherd pushed another two runs across before the end of the inning to claim a commanding 7-1 lead. 

In the seventh, West Chester threatened to score once again and trim the deficit late but West Chester failed to push any across in the 7-1 setback.

Jen Hanshaw (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) entered for the final 2.2 surrendering one run on two hits in the setback.

Taylor Stocks pitched a gem for Shepherd in the victory as she went the distance scattering just seven hits and one run while striking out three to improve to 19-6 on the year. 

Game Two: West Chester 4 Shepherd 3

In the bottom of the first, West Chester raced out to an early lead once again as Bri Garber (Willow Street, Pa./Lampeter-Strasburg) reached on a pair of errors, which enabled her to score on an RBI single from McCollester, thus, giving the purple and gold the early 1-0 lead.

In the top of the third, the Rams used an early triple to even the score at 1-1 heading to the home half of the third. 

In the home half of the third, West Chester answered back with a run of its own via an RBI single from Emily Maseth (Westminster, Md./Westminster), which scored Garber to restore the Golden Rams one run lead and make the score 2-1.

In the fourth inning, West Chester got runners to second and third with just one out and this paid dividends as Tori McCoach (Langhorne, Pa./Conwell Egan) scampered home on a wild pitch to give West Chester a 3-1 lead.

Klemas extended the lead moments later with an RBI double to score Courtney Stump (Kutztown, Pa./Kutztown) and give West Chester a solid 4-1 lead heading to the sixth. 

During the top of the sixth, Shepherd answered back with a run of its own to trim the deficit to 4-2. 

In the top of the seventh, Shepherd continued to chip away pushing another run across to make the score 4-3 with runners on the corners and two outs. In a manner that was eerily similar to what gave West Chester the Atlantic Regional title a year ago as well, Hanshaw managed to get a chopper back to the mound, which she fielded easily and flipped to first to give West Chester the decisive 4-3 victory.

Maegen Kavanagh (Easton, Pa./Easton) got the win in the circle for West Chester as she went six innings scattering nine hits and three runs while striking four to improve to 12-4 on the year and a perfect 4-0 in the Atlantic Regional Tournament. Hanshaw recorded the final three outs of the game for the purple and gold to earn the save allowing just one hit and one walk while also striking out one to secure the save.

"I feel like over this run I have gained confidence in myself and my stuff with each passing start," stated Kavanagh. "Over this run, I have really been relying on my defense and letting them make the plays they need to make behind me in order to help me be successful and I have been blessed with great defensive plays over the course of both weekends. This just reaffirms my belief that this team will do anything for anyone, which is great to be a part of."
 

West Chester will now wait for the reseeding to occur later this weekend to find out who the next opponent will be in the National Finals beginning next Thursday afternoon in Denver, Colorado at the National Finals.