WINTER HAVEN, Fl.- The West Chester softball team (8-8) returned to action on Tuesday evening in the Sunshine State vs Bentley (6-6). West Chester battled throughout both games, but it was Bentley who swept the doubleheader, taking game one by a 13-2 final before dropping the nightcap by a final of 5-4.
Game One: Bentley 13 WCU 2
In the first inning, Bentley raced out to an early lead, scoring 10 runs in the top of the first on seven hits and three West Chester errors before the Golden Rams escaped the inning, leaving three Falcons stranded after a ground out to second to conclude the top half.
After a scoreless bottom half of the first, Bentley tacked on another run in the top of the second on a bunt single, taking an 11-0 lead heading ingo the bottom of the second. In the home half of the second, West Chester got a run back when
Trisha Kopinetz (Pine Grove, Pa./Pine Grove) scored on a passed ball, cutting the deficit to 11-1.
In the top half of the fourth and fifth innings, Bentley added one more run in each half, extending its lead to 13-1 heading into the bottom of the fifth. In need of a rally to extend the game, West Chester's offense, pushed across another run via an RBI single from
Emily Kim (Bel Air, Md./C. Milton Wright) and had runners on second and third with two outs in the inning, threatening for more. Bentley was able to work out of the inning, avoiding further damage and earning the 13-2 game one victory in five innings.
Mary Picozzi (Collegeville, Pa./Lansdale Catholic) (4-2) got the start in the circle and took the loss, lasting just two innings, giving up 11 runs (just five earned) on nine hits with three walks and one strikeout before exiting in favor of
Anna Torrens (Holmes, Pa./Ridley). Torrens entered and tossed the next two innings, surrendering one unearned run on one hit with two walks and one strikeout while
Makenzie Edwards (Atco, N.J./Hammonton) tossed the fifth inning, giving up one run on two hits in the setback for the Golden Rams.
Game Two: Bentley 5 WCU 4
In the second game of the afternoon, West Chester nearly continued its streak of forcing extra innings to decide a victor, as the game went to the bottom of the seventh even at 4-4 but it was Bentley who managed to push across the winning run in the bottom half to emerge victorious.
Bentley jumped out to an early 2-0 lead with a two-run second inning before West Chester cut its deficit in half in the top of the third when Kim drove in
Katelyn Rittenbaugh (Donaldson, Pa./Pine Grove) with a sacrifice fly to left to trail by just one entering the home half. In the bottom half of the inning, Bentley added another run, an effort which it would duplicate in the fourth with another run to stretch its lead to 4-1.
Kopinetz cut the deficit in half once more, coming through with a solo home run in the top of the fifth before
Grace Aguilar (Frederica, Del./Lake Forest) hit a two-run shot in the sixth to even the score at 4-4.
After a scoreless top half of the seventh, Bentley got its first batter of the inning on base and eventually brought her around to score to escape with a narrow 5-4 victory over the Golden Rams.
Antonia Browning (Newark, Del./Charter School of Wilmington) got the start in the circle and went 3.2, surrendering four runs (only one earned) on four hits with two walks and a strikeout before exiting in favor of Picozzi. Picozzi (4-3) tossed the final 3.0 scattering four hits and one unearned run in the setback for the Golden Rams.
For Bentley, Payton Doiron turned in a solid effort in the circle, pitching the first six innings surrendering four runs on 11 hits with seven strikeouts before exiting for Dahlia Fink who pitched a scoreless seventh to earn the victory.
Up Next:
West Chester will be back in action tomorrow afternoon vs Felician beginning at 1:15 p.m. before facing 2021 National Finals opponent Saint Anselm in the afternoon beginning at 3:30 p.m.
