GREENSBURG, PA – Courtney Stump (Kutztown, Pa./Kutztown) went 3-for-4 and right-handed senior hurler, Jen Hanshaw (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) came through when her teammates needed her leadership most as visiting West Chester overcame many obstacles to down host Seton Hill, 15-2, in game one of the Best-of-3 2021 PSAC Softball Championship Series Friday afternoon.
Game two of the series is set for a 1 p.m. start on Saturday at the SHU Softball Complex with a third and decisive game, if necessary, scheduled shortly thereafter.
West Chester (29-14) plated a pair of runs in the second, one more in the third, and then opened things up with a six-run fourth to put the game away. Seton Hill (32-13) extended the game with a two-out home run in the bottom of the fifth that cut the deficit to seven (9-2) and avoided the eight-run rule from stopping the game early.
Senior Annamarie Hartman (Phoenix, Ariz./Xavier College Prep) opened the scoring with a two-run double to right field in the top of the second. In the third, Stump singled up the middle to make the lead 3-0 for the Golden Rams. The Golden Rams went on to score three more runs that inning from a sacrifice fly by fifth-year senior Bri Garber (Willow Street, Pa./Lampeter-Strasburg), a single from senior Jamie Klemas (South Brunswick, NJ./South Brunswick), and a wild pitch, stretching the lead to 9-0.
The Griffins put two runs on the board in the bottom of the fourth and top of the fifth on a fielder's choice and home run from Allison Kapoll.
West Chester rounded out the game by scoring six runs in the top of the seventh inning. Garber reached on a fielding error to bring home a runner for WCU. Sophomore Madison Melvin (Tabernacle, NJ./Seneca) walked causing the loaded bases to bring in a run. Stump singled to left field for an RBI and sophomore Haleigh Karcher (Jefferson Hills, Pa./Thomas Jefferson) singled through the left side for two RBIs.
Hanshaw improved to 15-4 on the season, allowing eight hits and two runs, and striking out five in Friday afternoon's game.
