COLUMBUS, Ga.- The West Chester softball team (2-2) returned to action on Friday evening in Columbus, Georgia, for the opening day of the NFCA Leadoff Classic, squaring off against Le Moyne (1-2) and Wingate (14-4) in its first action since a split vs Le Moyne two weeks ago. West Chester put together an impressive offensive performance to earn a 10-6 win over Le Moyne in game one before dropping the nightcap to Wingate by a 7-1 final.
Game One: WCU 10 Le Moyne 6
Six Golden Ram registered multi-hit games, and every player in the starting lineup recorded at least one hit to help lead West Chester past Le Moyne on Friday afternoon in the first game of the NFCA Leadoff Classic.
West Chester and Le Moyne traded runs through the early going, although West Chester never trailed after the home half of the first, which saw the Golden Rams push across a pair of runs courtesy of a two-RBI single from
Olivia Mock (Clifton, Va./Paul V). Freshman
Danielle Ciliberto (Ambler, Pa./Wissahickon) delivered the biggest hit of the afternoon, picking up her first collegiate hit with a three-run home run in the third that put West Chester ahead 7-3 in the home half of the third.
Alexa Peterson (Exton, Pa./Bishop Shanahan) drove home two more runs later in the third inning, which gave West Chester a commanding 9-3 lead that the team would never fully relinquish.
Mary Picozzi (Collegeville, Pa./Lansdale Catholic) got the start and worked into the third inning before being lifted for
Samantha Klug (East Norriton, Pa./Chestnut Hill Academy), who finished out the game in the circle and earned her second win of the season in the process. Picozzi allowed five hits and gave up three runs (two earned) while striking out three and walking one, while Klug, who had an outstanding debut against Le Moyne earlier in February, worked the final five innings, scattering four hits and three runs with one walk and four strikeouts in the victory.
Game Two: Wingate 7 WCU 1
In the second game of the day against Wingate, West Chester fell behind early after a five-run second inning for Wingate, who was the home team on the scoreboard and was unable to come all the way back, eventually suffering a 7-1 setback to go 1-1 on the day.
West Chester scratched across its lone run of the afternoon in the fourth inning when
Grace Aguilar (Frederica, Del./Lake Forest) scampered home on a single by Mock, but that was all Rachael Cutcher (5-1) would allow as she pitched a masterful game, finishing with a final line of one unearned run on five hits while striking out 12 in the win.
Antonia Browning (Newark, Del./Charter School of Wilmington) (0-1) got the start and lasted 1.2, surrendering four runs on two hits and a pair of walks before exiting in favor of
Makenzie Edwards (Atco, N.J./Hammonton). Edwards pitched the final 4.1, scattering three hits and three runs (one earned) while walking one and striking out four in the setback.
Up Next:
West Chester is back in action tomorrow for a pair of games against Georgian Court and Northern State, beginning at 3 and 5:30, respectively.
