WILMINGTON, Del.- Following a pair of sweeps over the weekend, the West Chester softball team (12-9) returned to action on Wednesday evening, looking to conclude non-conference play with a pair of wins against RV Wilmington (16-6). West Chester battled throughout the afternoon and led for much of the first game before Wilmington mounted a late-game comeback to win the first game by a 6-3 final before taking game two by a 2-1 final over the Golden Rams.
Fresh off being named PSAC East Athlete of the Week on Monday,
Grace Aguilar (Frederica, Del./Lake Forest) was the lone Golden Ram to register a hit and an RBI in both games, driving in a run via an RBI single in the first game before hitting her second home run of the season in the nightcap.
Game One: Wilmington 6 WCU 3
Wilmington threatened in the bottom of the first, getting runners on second and third with no outs before loading the bases with just one away in the inning.
Makenzie Edwards (Atco, N.J./Hammonton) worked around this early trouble, getting a pair of popups to end the first-inning threat.
Olivia Mock (Clifton, Va./Paul V) gave West Chester a 1-0 lead in the top of the second with an RBI single, which plated
Hailey Melvin (Tabernacle, N.J./Seneca), who had singled to right to lead off the inning.
Wilmington continued to threaten throughout the game, but Edwards and the Golden Rams managed to tightrope out of danger multiple times throughout the early innings, maintaining a 1-0 lead into the fourth.
After threatening throughout the afternoon, Wilmington broke through for its first run of the game in the bottom of the fourth with a two-out RBI single, which evened the score at 1-1. An RBI double one batter later gave the Wildcats their first lead of the game, moving the score to 2-1 heading into the fifth.
West Chester did not trail for long as
Casey Best (Wilmington, Del./Concord) hit a home run in the top of the fifth to even score 2-2. PSAC East Athlete of the Week
Grace Aguilar (Frederica, Del./Lake Forest) broke the tie a few batters later with an RBI single, which plated
Madison Melvin (Tabernacle, N.J./Seneca), who had worked a walk following the home run by Best.
Wilmington opened the fifth with a single, which closed the book on Edwards as
Danielle Ciliberto (Ambler, Pa./Wissahickon) moved from second to take over in the circle. Edwards finished with a final line of 4.0 innings pitched, allowing two runs on nine hits while striking out a pair.
West Chester worked out of trouble in the fifth, but Wilmington broke through with a four-run sixth inning to take a 6-3 lead, which the Wildcats held onto for the game-one victory.
Ciliberto (3-1) took the loss in the circle, tossing the final two innings in relief, surrendering four runs (one earned) on four hits while striking out one to fall in her first setback of the season.
Game Two: Wilmington 2 WCU 1
Wilmington got out to an early 2-0 lead courtesy of a pair of RBI singles in the first and second inning.
Aguilar continued her hot streak, cutting into the deficit with a solo home run in the fourth, but this would be the Golden Rams lone run of the game as the Wildcats held on for a 2-1 win over the Golden Rams.
Samantha Klug (East Norriton, Pa./Chestnut Hill Academy) (4-2) got the start and pitched well, limiting Wilmington to just two runs (one earned) on five hits while walking one and striking out three. On the other side, Kylee Gunkel was outstanding for the Wildcats, allowing just one run on two hits while striking out three as she went the distance to improve to 8-1 on the season.
Up Next:
West Chester returns to action on Friday at home vs Lock Haven in its PSAC East opener beginning at 2 p.m.
