WEST CHESTER, Pa.- The West Chester softball team (11-9) returned to action on Friday afternoon in its 2022 home opener against University of the Sciences (3-15). West Chester cruised to a game one victory, winning by a final 10-1 in five innings before taking game two by a final of 10-2 in six innings.
Game One: WCU 10 U Sciences 1 (5 Innings)
In the first game, West Chester jumped out to an early 2-0 lead when
Emily Kim (Bel Air, Md./C. Milton Wright) doubled home a pair of runs to give the Golden Rams the early lead.
In the second, West Chester added to its lead scoring six runs on six hits beginning with a two-run home run from
Mary Picozzi (Collegeville, Pa./Lansdale Catholic), which plated
Haleigh Karcher (Jefferson Hills, Pa./Thomas Jefferson) who had reached on a double to open the inning.
Later in the second,
Katelyn Rittenbaugh (Donaldson, Pa./Pine Grove) registered an RBI groundout to score
Abigail Quinn (Cheltenham, Pa./William Penn) and stretch the lead to 5-0.
Grace Aguilar (Frederica, Del./Lake Forest) followed this up with an RBI double to score
Madison Melvin (Tabernacle, N.J./Seneca). Aguilar scored a short time later when
Trisha Kopinetz (Pine Grove, Pa./Pine Grove) followed this up with a two-RBI home run to left to give West Chester an 8-0 lead.
In the third, Sciences got one run back but West Chester answered right back with a solo home run from Picozzi over the left-field fence to give the Golden Rams a 9-1 lead.
In the fourth, West Chester got its 10
th run of the game when Kim hit an RBI groundout to score Aguilar and give West Chester a commanding 10-1 lead.
In addition to her two home runs and three RBI, Picozzi (6-4) pitched well in the circle, going the full five innings, scattering one run on six hits while striking out three to earn the victory.
Megan Master got the start for the Sciences and lasted just 1.1 scattering eight runs (six earned) on eight hits while striking out a pair in the loss.
Game Two: WCU 10 U Sciences 2 (6 Innings)
In the second game of the doubleheader, Kim broke the game open, driving in the first run of the game with a solo home run to left in the second inning before Picozzi doubled the lead with an RBI single, which scored
Olivia Mock (Clifton, Va./Paul V), giving the Golden Rams a narrow 2-0 lead heading into the third.
In the third, Mock drove home another run via an RBI sac fly, which scored Kopinetz and gave West Chester a 3-0 lead entering the fourth inning.
In the fourth inning,
Antonia Browning (Newark, Del./Charter School of Wilmington) ran into trouble, giving up a two-out RBI double, which allowed the Devils to cut the lead to 3-1. Browning walked the next batter she would face, which led to the end of her day as she finished with a final line of 3.2 innings pitched, scattering three hits and just one run along with one walk while striking out four to earn her first victory as a Golden Ram.
The West Chester offense answered back in the home half of the fourth, scoring five runs on a pair of two-RBI singles from Kopinetz and Kim and an RBI single from
Tess Smiley (Havertown, Pa./Haverford), which also served as her first hit as a Golden Ram to extend the lead to 8-2.
In the top of the fifth, Sciences continued its ill-fated comeback effort as the Devils connected on a solo home run with one out in the inning, cutting the West Chester lead to 8-2.
In the fifth, West Chester got this run right back when Mock worked a bases-loaded walk to score Rittenbaugh who had reached on a single earlier in the frame, thus, giving West Chester a 9-2 lead.
In the home half of the sixth, West Chester put the game away and sent fans home early with a successful double steal, which saw
Sierra Marsteller (Orefield, Pa./Parkland) swipe home when Melvin broke for second, giving West Chester a 10-2 lead and ending the game with one out in the sixth inning.
Makenzie Edwards (Atco, N.J./Hammonton) entered in relief of Browning and tossed 1.1 giving up just one run on two hits while striking out three before exiting in favor of
Anna Torrens (Holmes, Pa./Ridley). Torrens entered and pitched the top of the sixth, allowing one baserunner but otherwise had a painless inning as she held the Devils scoreless heading into the home half of the sixth.
Olivia Quercia (0-3) took the loss for U Sciences in the circle, tossing 3.1 surrendering seven runs (six earned) on 10 hits while walking two and striking out two in the setback.
In game two, Rittenbaugh and Kim were true problems for the U Sciences pitching staff as the duo each reached base safely in every at-bat as Rittenbaugh was a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs scored, two RBI, and a pair of walks while Kim was 3-for-3 with three RBI, two runs scored, and one walk to help lead West Chester to the game two triumph and sweep of the Sciences.
Up Next:
West Chester returns to action tomorrow on the road at Holy Family beginning at 1 p.m. The doubleheader will be played at Bensalem High School in Bensalem, Pa.
