COLUMBUS, Ga.- The West Chester softball team (3-3) returned to action on the second day of the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Georgia on Saturday and went 1-1 again, dropping the first game of the day to Georgian Court by a 1-0 final before bouncing back with a 9-3 win over Northern State in the nightcap.
Game One: Georgian Court 1 WCU 0
In the first game of the afternoon, West Chester squared off against Georgian Court, offense was at a premium for most of the afternoon, but it was a seventh-inning RBI single, which made the difference as GCU escaped with a 1-0 victory.
Samantha Klug (East Norriton, Pa./Chestnut Hill Academy) got the start and pitched the first 3.2, scattering four hits while striking out three and walking two before exiting in favor of
Makenzie Edwards. Edwards, pitched the final 3.1 and gave up seven hits and one run while striking out a pair, for her second loss of the season.
West Chester pounded out four hits in the setback as
Madison Melvin (Tabernacle, N.J./Seneca), Katelyn Rittenbaugh (Donaldson, Pa./Pine Grove), Grace Aguilar (Frederica, Del./Lake Forest), and Olivia Mock (Clifton, Va./Paul V) all logged hits in the setback.
Game Two: WCU 9 Northern State 3
In the nightcap, West Chester jumped out to a 1-0 lead after the bottom of the first as Melvin crossed the plate early for West Chester thanks to an RBI double by Aguilar. West Chester tacked on another four in the second and four more in the sixth to earn an impressive 9-3 win, returning to .500 on the young season.
Melvin and Aguilar each recorded three hits in the win, with Melvin scoring three runs and driving in another while Aguilar drove home a pair in the offensive explosion. Rittenbaugh, led the team in RBI in the win, notching a pair of hits, while also scoring two runs of her own in the victory.
Hailey Melvin (Tabernacle, N.J./Seneca) also had a good evening against Northern State, going 2-for-3 with a triple, while also scoring a pair of runs and driving in another to help the WCU offense on Saturday night.
In the circle,
Mary Picozzi (Collegeville, Pa./Lansdale Catholic) got the start and the win, pitching four innings, scattering two runs on three hits and two walks, while striking out a pair. Edwards entered in relief and pitched the next two innings, scattering two hits and one run, while striking out three before exiting in favor of Klug, who closed out the game, pitching a three-hit seventh to preserve the victory.
Up Next:
West Chester returns to action tomorrow against Columbus State beginning at 11:30 a.m.
