CHARLESTON, W.V.- Madison Melvin (Tabernacle, N.J./Seneca) scored a pair of runs and the West Chester University softball team (36-20) got another excellent pitching performance from
Danielle Ciliberto (Ambler, Pa./Wissahickon) to defeat regional host Charleston (46-5) by a 2-1 final in the winner's bracket final on Friday afternoon in West Virginia. Following this win, West Chester is now the lone unbeaten team in the Charleston regional and is off to its best start to a postseason since 2017, when the team also won each of its first six games to begin the second season, as many coaches refer to it. West Chester will need just one win on Saturday to advance out of the Charleston regional and advance to Super Regionals at the home of the highest remaining seed when play begins next Tuesday.
"I'm very excited and very proud of this team," opened an excited head coach
Diane Lokey. "This group is playing so well right now and playing for each other, which has been great to see. Danielle (Ciliberto) was great in the circle again, and we got big hits when we needed them the most."
"This has been such a fun run," opened Melvin when asked about the victory. "Getting a big win over Charleston on its home field is a great feeling, and it'll give us great momentum heading into tomorrow after a great back-and-forth game throughout the afternoon."
Danielle Ciliberto (Ambler, Pa./Wissahickon) was exceptional in the circle again on Friday afternoon, improving to 23-8 on the year and 6-0 in the postseason with her fifth complete game. Ciliberto scattered eight hits and allowed just one run after working a walk and striking out five to pass Devon Utterback for fifth in program history in wins in a single season.
"It was another great day in the circle against an excellent Charleston team," started Ciliberto. "I felt great in the circle throughout the day, and my defense kept making big plays behind me. Like I've been saying all year, it's a great team effort every time out, and we are just on a great run right now."
When asked about the latest complete-game victory from Ciliberto, Melvin said, "Yeah, she is a superstar. When she is in the circle, it puts us at ease because we know that as long as we do our job offensively, we have a great chance to win every time we out."
After a 1,2,3 top of the first, West Chester led off the home first with an infield single from
Madison Melvin (Tabernacle, N.J./Seneca). Melvin advanced to second on the play after the through snuck wide of the base into foul territory down the right-field line. She moved to third moments later on a sac bunt by
Katelyn Rittenbaugh (Donaldson, Pa./Pine Grove), which allowed her to score on an RBI single to left from fellow graduate student
Grace Aguilar (Frederica, Del./Lake Forest), thus, giving West Chester an early 1-0 lead.
In the top of the second, Charleston got runners on second and third with just one out, threatening to tie the game if not take the lead, but Ciliberto battled, striking out each of the last two hitters of the inning to escape with a one-run lead intact.
After a scoreless home second, Charleston threatened once again, getting a leadoff single before
Paige Marabell (Tunkhannock, Pa./Tunkhannock) teamed up with Rittenbaugh to pickoff the leadoff runner for a big first out. She was replaced quickly by leadoff hitter Hannah Rose as she reached on an error, but Ciliberto worked out of trouble once again, striking out power threat Isabella Andujar for the second out before getting a quick ground out to third to escape the inning.
In the home third, West Chester got four consecutive one-out singles from Melvin, Rittenbaugh, Aguilar, and
Mairead Hopkins (West Chester, Pa./Rustin), which allowed Melvin to score, extending the lead to 2-0. Charleston escaped the inning without any further damage, keeping the deficit at 2-0 heading into the fourth.
After a quick first out, Charleston continued to threaten, getting runners to second and third with two outs after a groundout to first by Hannah Meyer, which succeeded in moving the runners on first and second. Ciliberto tight-roped out of danger yet again with a ground ball to short, keeping the potent Golden Eagle offense off the scoreboard heading into the home half of the fourth.
In the home fourth,
Hailey Melvin (Tabernacle, N.J./Seneca) started the inning with a single, and while
Danielle Ciliberto (Ambler, Pa./Wissahickon) lined out to center, this was enough for the Golden Eagles to make a pitching change as Chloe Elliott entered in relief of Brianna McCown to try and slow the Golden Ram offense. Elliott yielded a walk to
Emma Zoldi (Newtown, Pa./Council Rock North) to start her outing but worked out of trouble quickly to keep the Golden Ram lead at 2-0.
McCown (31-4) finished with a final line of seven hits and two runs allowed in 3.1 innings while striking out four.
When asked about defeating the Golden Eagles top pitcher in McCown, Lokey said, "Yeah, McCown is a really good pitcher, but we did a great job of sticking to our plan and getting the important hits when we needed them."
Charleston continued to threaten in the fifth and cut the West Chester lead in half with a two-out single to left off the bat of Lindsey Phares, but this was all Ciliberto would allow in that frame, escaping further danger with a chopper to
Casey Best (Wilmington, Del./Concord) at first.
After a scoreless sixth, Charleston got a runner on with one out in the seventh after a hit-by-pitch with Isabella Andujar and her 17 home runs on the year due up next. Ciliberto managed Andujar well throughout the day, striking out the Golden Eagles slugger twice before ending the game with a double play as
Gia Borelli (Wyomissing, Pa./Wilson) snagged a line drive to third and fired it to first to double off the runner and lift West Chester to a 2-1 victory.
Elliott pitched well in relief, finishing the game in the circle, allowing just one hit and a pair of walks while striking out one to keep her team in the game down the stretch.
Today's victory runs the Golden Rams winning streak to six in a row and places West Chester just one win away from a return to Super Regionals entering play on Saturday. West Chester will face the winner of the second elimination game tonight, which will see the winner of Bloomsburg/Gannon face Charleston at 5 p.m. for the right to play the Golden Rams. Game one tomorrow is set to begin at 1 p.m. with the if-necessary game to follow.
