WEST CHESTER, PA – Visiting Shepherd University invaded South Campus Saturday afternoon handing host West Chester its first sweep of the young softball season with two wins in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division showdown.
West Chester (10-4, 8-4) dropped the opener to Shepherd (18-5, 14-4) by the score of 11-6. The Shepherd Rams then scored one run in the top of the ninth inning of game two, prevailing 9-8 in extra innings.
Mary Picozzi (Collegeville, Pa./Lancaster Catholic) suffered the loss inside the circle in game one. She surrendered four runs on seven hits over the first three innings.
Annamarie Hartman (Phoenix, Ariz./Xavier Prep) hit a two-run homer in the sixth. She finished 1-for-3 with three RBI.
In the nightcap, West Chester rallied for five runs in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game at 8-8 and eventually send it into extras.
Madison Melvin (Tabernacle, N.J./Seneca) hit a RBI double during that rally, but it was
Jaime Klemas (South Brunswick, N.J./South Brunswick) who provided the big bang with a bases-clearing double to right-center that Shepherd's right-fielder almost caught. However, the ball popped out of the fielder's glove when the player hit the ground in an attempt to make a diving catch.
Shepherd's Isabelle Forte hit a RBI double in the top of the ninth for what proved to be the game-winning hit.
West Chester left-handed reliever
Summer Williams (Middletown, Del./Appoquinimink) was the hard-luck loser inside the circle. She tossed 5.1 stellar innings in relief of Picozzi, yielding just one run on four hits and striking out two without walking anybody.
West Chester travels to Mansfield on Tuesday for another PSAC East doubleheader at Helen Lutes Field.
