LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, Pa.- The West Chester softball team (20-18) took a brief break from PSAC East play on Thursday afternoon to face Lincoln in a non-league battle. West Chester had little trouble sweeping the Lions, taking game one by a score of 14-1 in five innings before taking game two by a 15-0 in five innings for non-league sweep.
Game One: WCU 14 Lincoln 1 (5 Innings)
West Chester jumped out to an early lead in the first inning following a pair of RBI singles from
Emily Kim (Bel Air, Md./C. Milton Wright) and a two-RBI single from
Olivia Mock (Clifton, Va./Paul VI) to hold a 3-0 lead heading into the bottom half of the first.
In the second inning, West Chester continued to extend its lead, scoring four runs on five hits to take a commanding 7-0 lead into the third inning. West Chester scored the first of its runs when
Madison Melvin (Tabernacle, N.J/Seneca) found her way home on a throw down to first to complete a strikeout before
Kaitlyn Rittenbaugh (Donaldson, Pa./Pine Grove) scored on a fielders choice off the bat of Kim.
Mary Picozzi (Collegeville, Pa./Lansdale Catholic) and Mock followed this up with a pair of RBI singles as West Chester held a commanding 7-0 lead heading into the bottom half of the second.
In the third inning, West Chester continued its offensive explosion, beginning with a two-RBI triple by Mock, which put her in position to score on an RBI sac fly from Kim, which stretched the lead to 10-0 heading into the home half of the third.
After a scoreless home half of the third and top of the foruth, Lincoln was able to scratch across its first run of the afternoon on an RBI groundout, which cut the deficit to 10-1 heading into the fifth.
Determined to make sure the first game of the doubleheader would go no further than five innings, West Chester tacked on four more runs in the top of the fifth courtesy of an RBI single from Rittenbaugh, an error by Lions second baseman on a sharply hit ball by Kim, and a pair of RBI groundouts from Picozzi and Mock as West Chester rolled to an impressive 14-1 game one victory over Lincoln.
In the circle, reigning PSAC East Pitcher of the Week,
Makenzie Edwards (Atco, N.J./Hammonton), had little trouble getting through the Lions order, surrendering just one hit (which did not come until the fourth inning, halting a 10+-inning hitless streak by opposing batters) and one unearned run while striking out six to improve to 7-5 on the year.
For Lincoln, Tia Brown got the start and encountered some difficulties with the potent Golden Ram offense, surrendering 14 runs (12 earned) on 11 hits while walking seven and striking out a pair while also being charged with two wild pitches.
Mock and Kim combined to drive in eight of West Chester's 14 runs in the victory, as Kim was 1-for-3 at the plate with three runs scored and four RBI, while Mock was 2-for-3 with four RBI of her own in the victory.
Game Two: WCU 15 Lincoln 0 (5 Innings)
In the second game of the doubleheader, West Chester wasted little time in getting out to an early lead once again as Melvin reached to open the game on a hit by pitch before stealing second and advancing to third on a groundout, which allowed her to score on a sac fly by Kim to give West Chester a 1-0 lead with two outs in the top of the first.
In the second, Picozzi stretched the lead to 3-0 with a two-run home run to right-center, also scoring
Haleigh Karcher (Jefferson Hills, Pa./Thomas Jefferson), who had reached on an error earlier in the inning. Later in the inning, with bases loaded, Rittenbaugh unloaded them with a bases-clearing triple to right field, which stretched the lead to 6-0 before the lead grew once more following an RBI sac fly from Kim to make the score 7-0 heading into the bottom of the second.
With two outs in the top of the third, West Chester extended its lead even further as Melvin hit an RBI single back up the middle to score Mock before stretching a two-RBI single from Rittenbaugh, drove home both Melvin sisters to give West Chester a commanding 10-0 lead.
After a scoreless fourth, West Chester added five runs to it's already commanding lead in the fifth thanks to an RBI groundout from Rittenbaugh, a two-rbi single from Aguilar, and a two-run home run from
Tess Smiley (Havertown, Pa./Haverford) as the Golden Rams cruised to the 15-0 triumph and a doubleheader sweep.
Anna Torrens (Holmes, Pa./Ridley) got the start and the win tossing the first three scoreless innings, scattering just two hits while striking out one.
Antonia Browning (Newark, Del./Charter School of Wilmington) and
Summer Williams (Middletown, Del./Appoquinimink) split the final two innings, each tossing a no-hit inning while striking out one as West Chester rolled to the victory.
Up Next:
West Chester returns to action on Saturday afternoon at Shippensburg in a crucial PSAC East doubleheader beginning at 1 pm before returning home to host Chestnut Hill on Sunday beginning at 1 pm.
