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Box Score 2 WINTER HAVEN, Fl.- Looking to continue its winning streak after registering sweeps in each of its last two games, the West Chester softball team (8-6) took to the field early on Sunday morning vs Molloy (2-4) as the Golden Rams continued their stay in the Sunshine State. In the first game, West Chester held a 5-3 lead in the middle innings after a four-run second inning, but it was Molloy who scored the final four runs of the contest to earn a narrow 7-5 win over West Chester. In the second game of the afternoon, West Chester took an early lead, scoring the first run of the game in the home half of the first, but Molloy answered back quickly and earned a 12-4 victory over the Golden Rams for a sweep of the afternoon.
Game One: Molloy 7 WCU 5
Trailing by a pair entering the second inning, the West Chester offense wasted little time in erasing the early deficit scoring four runs in the top of the second to take a 4-2 lead. West Chester got its first run of the game via a wild pitch as
Alexa Peterson (Exton, Pa./Bishop Shanahan) scored on a wild pitch after a single by
Madison Melvin (Tabernacle, N.J./Seneca) loaded the bases with two outs in the inning.
Katelyn Rittenbaugh (Donaldson, Pa./Pine Grove) kept the line moving for the Golden Rams, hitting a single, which scored a pair of runs and put her on second, after advancing on the throw, giving West Chester a 3-2 lead. Rittenbaugh found her way home a few minutes later, scoring on an RBI single off the bat of
Trisha Kopinetz (Pine Grove, Pa./Pine Grove) to give West Chester a 4-2 lead.
This lead held up until the home half of the third when Molloy got one run back, making it a 4-3 game heading into the fourth. In the fourth, West Chester countered with a
Grace Aguilar (Frederica, Del./Lake Forest) single into left, which scored Melvin and gave West Chester back a two-run (5-3) lead.
In the home half of the inning, Molloy countered with two more runs, evening the score at 5-5 heading into the fifth inning.
Following a scoreless fifth, Molloy scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth and had the bases loaded with just one out, threatening for more but West Chester worked out of the jam, getting a pair of flyouts to trail by just two heading into the top of the seventh with the middle part of the order due up in the inning.
With one out in the seventh,
Emily Kim (Bel Air, Md./C. Milton Wright) reached on a throwing error and advanced to second on the play as West Chester looked to mount a late comeback. Kopinetz and
Olivia Mock (Clifton, Va./Paul V) each made solid contact, lifting the ball into right field but the Lions outfielder was able to get to each of them, thus, halting the Golden Ram rally and giving Molloy a narrow 7-5 comeback victory.
Mary Picozzi (Collegeville, Pa./Lansdale Catholic) got the start in the circle and took a no-decision, tossing 3.1 innings, scattering six hits and five runs (three earned) while striking out five before exiting in favor of
Makenzie Edwards (Atco, N.J./Hammonton). Edwards (2-2) who pitched the next two innings took the loss after giving up two runs (one earned) on four hits with one walk and two strikeouts. Picozzi re-entered in relief of Edwards in the sixth with a pair of runners on and just one out in the inning, and after loading the bases with a hit by pitch, Picozzi was able to work out of danger, getting a pair of popouts to end the threat and keep West Chester within a pair heading into the seventh.
For Molloy, Courtney Green went the distance in the circle, picking up her first win of the season, scattering 10 hits and five runs while walking three and striking out four over the course of her seven innings of work.
Game Two: Molloy 12 WCU 4 (6 innings)
In the bottom of the first, West Chester took an early 1-0 lead when Aguilar singled home Melvin who had reached to lead off the inning, giving the Golden Rams an early advantage.
This slim lead held up for West Chester until the top of the third when Molloy's bats came back to life as the Lions scored three runs on four hits and one West Chester error to take a 3-1 lead over the Golden Rams. In the home half, West Chester began mounting a comeback, getting one run back when Rittenbaugh singled into right field, which allowed Melvin who had reached on a bunt single and stolen second earlier in the inning to score, cutting the deficit to 3-2.
In the top of the fourth, Molloy exploded for six runs, taking a commanding 9-2 lead into the bottom of the fourth. In the bottom half, West Chester got one run back, via an RBI groundout from
Haleigh Karcher (Jefferson Hills, Pa./Thomas Jefferson), which scored Mock, making the score 9-3 heading into the fifth.
In the fifth, Molloy added two more runs, taking an 11-3 lead and threatening to win the game in five innings if the Golden Rams could not push across at least one run to extend the game. In the home half, West Chester did just that, as Melvin opened the inning with a double before coming around to score on an RBI single from Aguilar, making the score 11-4 with one out. West Chester loaded the bases following a pair of singles from Kim and Mock, but Molloy worked out of trouble, carrying an 11-4 lead into the sixth inning.
Molloy tacked on another run in the sixth, stretching its lead to 12-4 entering the bottom half of the inning. Once again needing a run to extend the game to the seventh, West Chester got a runner to second base but Molloy managed to keep the high-powered Golden Rams off the scoreboard to earn the 12-4 victory.
Anna Torrens (Holmes, Pa./Ridley) got the start in the circle and took the loss for West Chester, going three innings, surrendering five hits and five runs (two earned) before exiting in favor of Edwards. Edwards, surrendered two hits and four runs along with two walks before being removed for
Summer Williams (Middletown, Del./Appoquiniminik) who pitched the next two innings, scattering six hits and two runs while striking out a pair.
Antonia Browning (Newark, Del./Charter School of Wilmington) entered in relief in the sixth inning and surrendered one run on one hit with one walk in her inning of work.
For Molloy, Amanda King got the start and the victory, tossing a complete game, surrendering four runs on 10 hits and one walk while striking out five for her first victory of the Spring.
Up Next:
West Chester will be back in action on Tuesday afternoon vs Bentley with first pitch in that doubleheader set for 2:30 p.m.
