BENSALEM, Pa.- Looking to extend its winning streak to four games in a row, the West Chester softball team (12-10) returned to action on Saturday afternoon at Holy Family. In the first game of the twinbill, a big sixth inning was the difference as Holy Family slipped past West Chester by a score of 10-9 before the Golden Rams took game two by a final of 7-1.
Game One: Holy Family 10 WCU 9
Holy Family jumped out to an early 3-0 lead scoring one run in the first before tacking on two more runs in the second, claiming an early lead heading into the third inning.
In the third,
Emily Kim (Bel Air, Md./C. Milton Wright) doubled home a run, scoring
Grace Aguilar (Frederica, Del./Lake Forest) to cut the deficit to 3-1.
In the fourth, West Chester continued its comeback as
Madison Melvin (Tabernacle, N.J./Seneca) put down a perfect bunt, which following an error allowed
Abigail Quinn (Cheltenham, Pa./William Penn) to scored and cut the deficit to 3-2. A few batters later, Aguilar followed this up with a three-run home run, scoring both Melvin sisters in the process to give West Chester a 5-3 lead heading into the bottom of the fourth.
In the home half of the fifth, Holy Family got the two runs back with a pair of RBI singles to even the score at 5-5 heading into the sixth inning.
The game did not remain tied for long as
Katelyn Rittenbaugh (Donaldson, Pa./Pine Grove) singled home Melvin who had reached on a bunt single and stolen second to start the inning. Rittenbaugh and teammate Aguilar came around to score later in the frame when
Olivia Mock (Clifton, Va./Paul V) singled into right center to give West Chester an 8-5 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth.
In the sixth,
Antonia Browning (Newark, Del./Charter School of Wilmington) entered in relief of Picozzi who had pitched the first five innings, scattering seven hits and five runs (just one earned) while striking out three.
In the bottom of the sixth, Holy Family threatened early in the inning as its first two batters reached via singles before eventually loading the bases, which allowed the Tigers to take a 10-8 lead after an RBI single and an ensuing grand slam to take a two-run lead heading into the seventh.
In the top of the seventh, West Chester cut into the deficit when Aguilar doubled home Melvin while keeping runners on second and third with two outs in the inning as West Chester looked to even the score in the seventh. Holy Family tight-roped out of danger getting the ever dangerous Kopinetz who was a tough out throughout the day on Friday to ground out to second, and escape with a 10-8 victory over the Golden Rams.
Browning took the loss for West Chester after giving up five runs in the sixth inning, falling to 1-2 on the year.
For Holy Family, Sam Ciasullo earned the victory, going 6.1 surrendering nine runs (seven earned) on 13 hits while walking five and striking out four. Jalecia Blackston entered in relief in the seventh and earned the save, giving up just one hit while getting the final two outs to help the Tigers escape the jam and earn the victory.
Game Two: WCU 7 Holy Family 1
In the first inning, West Chester jumped out to an early lead, when Melvin who had reached on a single to open the game, stole third and scored on a throwing error by the Tigers catcher as the Golden Rams held an early 1-0 lead.
Holy Family answered back in the second but an RBI double from Aguilar in the top of the third restored a slim one-run lead for the Golden Rams. West Chester doubled this lead in the fourth when
Haleigh Karcher (Jefferson Hills, Pa./Thomas Jefferson) laced a single down the right field line, scoring
Asia Barnard (Levittown, Pa./Neshaminy) and giving West Chester a 3-1 lead in the fourth inning.
In the fifth, Kopinetz doubled home Aguilar with a double to left field, which moved the West Chester lead to 4-1 with no outs in the fifth inning. With a pair of runners on and just one out in the inning, Quinn doubled home a pair of runs, extending the West Chester lead to 6-1.
Later in the fifth,
Alexa Peterson (Exton, Pa./Bishop Shanahan) hit an RBI single, which scored
Casey Best (Wilmington, Del./Concord) who had pinch run for Quinn earlier in the inning after her two-RBI double, making the score 7-1 heading into the home half of the fifth.
After a scoreless bottom of the fifth, West Chester threatened to grow its lead in the sixth but Holy Family worked out of trouble to keep the score at 7-1 heading into the bottom of the sixth.
Makenzie Edwards (Atco, N.J./Hammonton) (4-2) worked a scoreless bottom of the seventh, finishing off a complete-game victory, which saw her scatter just two hits and three walks while striking out four to earn her fourth victory of the Spring.
For Holy Family, Remington took the loss, going the distance in the circle allowing 13 hits and seven runs (five earned) while striking out eight in the setback.
Up Next:
West Chester returns to action on Tuesday at Wilmington with that doubleheader set to begin at 2 p.m.
