WEST CHESTER, Pa.- In need of a pair of victories to keep its hopes of making a return to the PSAC Tournament alive, the West Chester softball team (24-20, 7-7 PSAC) welcomed Shepherd to the South Campus Softball Field on Friday afternoon for an all important PSAC East doubleheader. West Chester led throughout much of the day in both games of the doubleheader and despite needing a seventh-inning rally to take game one, swept the doubleheader with a 5-4 game one triumph before taking game two by a 6-5 final score.
Game One: WCU 5 Shepherd 4
In the first inning,
Trisha Kopinetz (Pine Grove, Pa./Pine Grove) gave West Chester an early lead with an RBI single into right center, which scored longtime teammate
Katelyn Rittenbaugh (Donaldson, Pa./Pine Grove) and gave West Chester an early 1-0 lead.
This lead held up until the third when Shepherd erased the deficit and took its first lead of the game with a two run home run to left center before Kopinetz tied the game once more in the third with an RBI fielders choice, which scored
Madison Melvin (Tabernacle, N.J./Seneca) to even the score at 2-2 in the third.
In the fifth, Shepherd inched back out in front once more with a solo home run to left before
Emily Kim (Bel Air, Md./C. Milton Wright) countered with a solo shot of her own in the sixth to even the score at 3-3.
Shepherd scored its final run of the game in the seventh to take a slim 4-3 lead before West Chester began its comeback effort in the seventh. West Chester loaded the bases with just one out in the inning, which allowed the Purple and Gold to tie the score at 4-4 after a fielding error by the Rams shortstop on a sharply hit ball by Kim to score Rittenbaugh. With the score tied and the bases still loaded,
Haleigh Karcher (Jefferson Hills, Pa./Thomas Jefferson) lifted a fly ball into left field, which was misplayed by the Rams left fielder, allowing the winning run to cross and lift West Chester to a crucial 5-4 comeback victory.
Antonia Browning (Newark, Del./Charter School of Wilmington) got the start and lasted 4.1 scattering three runs on six hits while walking three and striking out a pair.
Mary Picozzi (Collegeville, Pa./Lansdale Catholic) entered in relief and pitched the final 2.2, scattering one run on three hits while walking a pair and striking out to earn her ninth (9-7) victory of the season.
Katie Laing got the start and took the loss for Shepherd, going the distance surrendering five runs (four earned) on seven hits while walking four and striking out three to fall to 7-5 on the year.
Game Two: WCU 6 Shepherd 5
In the second inning, Kopinetz gave West Chester its first run of the game when she scored on a passed ball before
Olivia Mock (Clifton, Va./Paul VI) doubled home Kim to give West Chester a 2-0 lead.
Alexa Peterson (Exton, Pa./Bishop Shanahan) followed this up with an RBI double down the third base line to give West Chester a 3-0 lead heading into the third.
In the top of the third, Shepherd cut into the Golden Ram lead, scoring a pair of runs on two hits and one error to make the score 3-2 heading into the bottom of the third.
In the home fifth, Melvin worked a leadoff walk and moved her way up to third base with one out, which allowed her to score on a perfectly placed bunt single from
Grace Aguilar (Frederica, Del./Lake Forest) who scored moments later on a two-run home run down the left-field line from Kopinetz to extend the lead to 6-2 heading into the sixth.
In the top of the sixth, Shepherd tried to answer back but West Chester was able to work around the early base runners to keep the score locked at 6-2 heading into the home half of the sixth.
In the top of the seventh, each of Shepherd's first two batters of the inning reached before a three-run shot to left cut the Golden Ram lead to 6-5 with no outs in the seventh. West Chester tightened defensively after this home run and worked out of the inning with no further damage to pick up the 6-5 game two victory and doubleheader sweep of the Rams.
Picozzi earned her second victory of the day to improve to 10-7 on the year after entering in relief of
Anna Torrens (Holmes, Pa./Ridley) who started and pitched the first 2.1 scattering two runs on two hits while striking out one before Picozzi entered for the next 3.2. Picozzi scattered just five hits over 3.2 scoreless innings.
Makenzie Edwards (Atco, N.J./Hammonton) entered for the seventh and allowed three runs but held on to earn her second save of the Spring.
For Shepherd, Hannah Ruffner got the start and went the distance, surrendering six runs (four earned) on eight hits while walking two and striking out a pair in the loss.
Up Next:
West Chester returns to action tomorrow to conclude its regular season vs longtime rival and PSAC East leading Kutztown with that doubleheader set to begin at 1 p.m.
