WEST CHESTER, Pa.- Madison Melvin (Tabernacle, N.J./Seneca) became the second Golden Ram and third PSAC player to eclipse the 300-career hit plateau in game two. The senior outfielder helped West Chester (21-14) earn an important split vs. #22 Wilmington (26-11) on Tuesday afternoon.
Wilmington entered play riding an 18-game winning streak, the second-longest in Division II, trailing only Colorado Mesa. Wilmington saw its streak grow to 19 in a row with a 9-1 victory in a suspended game one before West Chester bounced back with a 2-1 victory in the nightcap thanks to a two-run home run by
Paige Marabell (Tunkhannock, Pa./Tunkhannock) and a dominant pitching performance from
Danielle Ciliberto (Ambler, Pa./Wissahickon).
Game One: Wilmington 9 WCU 1
West Chester resumed its suspended doubleheader vs. Wilmington on a gorgeous Tuesday afternoon. There was abundant sunshine and highs in the mid-70s throughout the afternoon, a stark contrast to how the doubleheader began in late March under overcast skies and eventually heavy rain, leading to play being suspended earlier this season.
Wilmington held a 1-0 lead heading into the bottom of the third when play resumed after scratching across a run in an intensifying rain back on March 27.
The Wildcats maintained their one-run lead into the fifth when they tacked on five runs, including a bases-clearing double and a two-run home run to center, to grab a 6-0 lead over the Golden Rams.
Wilmington tacked on three more runs in the seventh, thanks in part to another home run, this time a line drive, which just crept over the center field fence.
The Golden Rams got one run back in the home seventh to avoid the shutout as
Madison Melvin (Tabernacle, N.J./Seneca) worked a bases-loaded walk, which closed the book on Brooke Koehler, who had taken over the in the circle in the third and earned her first victory of the young season.
Makenzie Edwards (Atco, N.J./Hammonton) fell to 7-6 on the year, allowing six runs on six hits and three walks while striking out two.
Mary Picozzi (Collegeville, Pa./Lansdale Catholic) entered in relief and pitched the final 2.1, allowing three runs on two hits while striking out one.
Kylee Gunkel earned the start and pitched the first two innings before getting the final out of the game to help the Wildcats escape a bases-loaded jam. Koehler earned the victory in the circle, pitching 4.2, holding West Chester hitless while walking four and striking out one.
Game Two: WCU 2 Wilmington 1
After three scoreless innings, West Chester took its first lead of the day in the home half of the fourth, scoring two runs on three hits while stranding one heading into the fifth.
The inning started with Melvin recording her 300th collegiate hit, becoming the second Golden Ram and third PSAC player to reach this milestone. She advanced to second quickly on a wild pitch, although this would prove inconsequential later in the inning as
Paige Marabell (Tunkhannock, Pa./Tunkhannock) blasted her team-leading fifth home run of the season to left, which gave West Chester a 2-0 lead.
Casey Best (Wilmington, Del./Concord) roped a double into the left-center field gap, but West Chester could not bring her around to score, keeping the score locked at 2-0 in favor of the Golden Rams.
Danielle Ciliberto (Ambler, Pa./Wissahickon) was masterful in the circle for West Chester through four innings before running into her first trouble of the afternoon in the fifth after back-to-back one-out singles. Wilmington cut the lead in half with a fielder's choice for the second out of the inning. The Golden Rams escaped the inning with the lead intact after a tremendous running grab by
Tess Kearney (Hatboro, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham) in foul ground for the third out of the inning.
Haley Downin got the start for Wilmington and worked the first 4.0 innings, allowing two runs on five hits while striking out a pair. Delani Sheehan entered in relief of Downin and found herself in trouble in the fifth as the Golden Rams loaded the bases, but back-to-back strikeouts helped the redshirt-sophomore tightrope out of danger to keep the score at 2-1 heading into the sixth.
Wilmington got the tying run on base in the sixth and seventh and got this runner to second with one out in the seventh after a double down the left-field line. Still, Ciliberto was exceptional, getting tough when needed to improve to 12-6 on the year and help West Chester halt Wilmington's 19-game winning streak, which was second-best in Division II softball entering the nightcap.
Ciliberto scattered just five hits and a walk over her seven innings of work, allowing one unearned run, while striking out one.
Sheehan closed the game out for Wilmington in the circle, pitching the final two innings, allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out four Golden Rams in the Wildcats' first loss since a March 12
th sweep at East Stroudsburg.
Up Next:
West Chester returns to action on Friday afternoon vs Lock Haven beginning at 1 p.m.
