West Chester at Millersville
Game Details: Tuesday, March 18 I 1/3:00 P.M.
Location: Seaber Softball Stadium (Millersville, Pa.)
Coverage Links: Live Stats I Video
Series: 85-52-1 (WCU 7-3 in last 10; 3-1 in 2024)
WCU Links: NEWS I ROSTER I SCHEDULE I STATS
VILLE Links: NEWS I ROSTER I SCHEDULE I STATS
Last Time Out
West Chester returns north after going 7-1 during its trip to Florida, bouncing back from an opening-game loss to Southern New Hampshire by a 6-5 final on Saturday, March 8. West Chester rebounded from this loss to split the doubleheader with a 7-1 victory and outscored its opponents 34-5 over the next six games with three shutouts, including a 12-0 win over Bloomfield. Mairead Hopkins (West Chester, Pa./Rustin) and Hailey Melvin (Tabernacle, N.J./Seneca) were first and second on the team in batting average in Florida, batting .400 (12-for-30 and 8-for-20) on the week. Hopkins's 12 hits were the most on the team and included four doubles and a home run while also driving in eight RBI, which was tied with Paige Marabell (Tunkhannock, Pa./Tunkhannock) (.375; 9-for-24) for first on the team. Marabell registered five extra-base hits of her own on the week, including three doubles, two triples, and the lone other home run. Hopkins also led the team in runs scored with seven, while Casey Best (Wilmington, Del./Concord) and Julia Miller (Moorestown, N.J./Moorestown) scored six runs each.
In the circle, Alyssa Tooley (Hatboro, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham) and Makenzie Edwards (Atco, N.J./Hammonton) were both unbeaten in the circle in Florida, going 2-0 and 3-0 with ERAs of 0.00 and 0.84, respectively. Tooley pitched 11 innings for West Chester, including the complete-game victory vs Bloomfield, allowing one unearned run on five hits and four walks while striking out seven. Edwards made four appearances with two starts and a complete game of her own against Columbus State on Sunday, striking out 10 over 16.2 innings while scattering 12 hits, three runs (two earned), and four walks in these appearances. Danielle Ciliberto (Ambler, Pa./Wissahickon) was 2-1 in the circle with a staff-best five appearances. The junior earned the start in four games and recorded two complete games and a save as she pitched a staff-best 25.1 innings, posting a 1.66 ERA with 13 strikeouts and just one walk.
Flock Talk
Marabell and Hopkins are first and second on the team in batting average at .417 and .411, with nine home runs (five and four) between the two of them. Marabell leads the team in RBI with 21, with five doubles, one triple, and five home runs to her name while also scoring seven runs. Hopkins is first on the team in runs, scoring 16 after registering 23 hits, including six doubles and four home runs. Miller has impressed early in her collegiate career, batting .362 (17-for-47) with three extra-base hits (two doubles, one triple) with seven RBI and 10 runs scored while also going 6-for-8 on stolen base attempts.
In the circle, Ciliberto is 6-2 with a 2.26 ERA, a .91 WHIP, and a .212 opponent batting average with 36 strikeouts in 51.2 innings of work. The junior has yielded just five walks and has pitched three complete games, including one complete-game shutout, while also registering a save. Edwards is 4-1 on the mound with a 3.18 ERA, a 1.125 WHIP, and a .235 opponent batting average, adding two saves in 34.0 innings of work. Edwards has struck out 24 and walked just eight early this season. Tooley has impressed in limited appearances early in her career, going 2-0 with a .92 WHIP and a .170 opponent batting average in 13 innings of work while striking out a staff-best seven.
Getting Started
Tuesday’s doubleheader is the PSAC East opener for both teams as the Golden Rams begin their quest for a PSAC East Regular Season title and a run at repeating as PSAC Tournament Champions.
Road Warriors
Eleven of the Golden Rams' 12 wins have come away from home this season. West Chester is 4-1 in true road games, including a split at then top-10 foe Wilmington to open the year, and 7-1 in neutral site games after its Florida trip.
Power Surge
West Chester is outscoring its opponents 95-44 this season, including a 46-12 advantage during its Spring Break trip to Florida last week.
Series History
West Chester holds an 85-52-1 lead in the all-time series vs Millersville, including wins in three of four games a year ago and seven of the last 10. West Chester swept both games of the doubleheader at Millersville last April, capturing game one by a 9-6 final before taking the nightcap by a 9-7 final.
Scouting Millersville
Millersville enters league play after going 5-1 against CIAA foes a week ago, including a split against Bowie State at the Seaber Softball Stadium on Thursday afternoon. Prior to this split, Millersville wrapped up a southern swing, which had seen the Marauders sweep a doubleheader at Virginia State and Shaw along with a split at Mount Olive, dropping game one by a 4-1 final before winning game two 12-1. Upon returning north, Millersville took a doubleheader from Lincoln by 10-1 and 8-5 finals before capturing game one over Bowie State by a 3-2 final. The nightcap against the Bulldogs was a low-scoring affair as Bowie State triumphed by a 2-1 final.
Against Bowie State, Millersville erased an early two-run deficit with a Jocelyn Langer double as the freshman laced a two-out double to clear the bases and give the Marauders a late lead. Angelica Saverase got the start and allowed two runs on three hits while walking two and striking out in 2.2 innings of work. Delaney Troxell entered in relief and improved to 4-1 with 4.1 innings of scoreless relief, allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out a pair. In game two, Bowie State got out to an early 2-0 lead before Millersville got a run back in the fifth to cut the lead to 2-1. This was as close as the Marauders could get to pulling off a comeback victory in a 2-1 setback. Nicolina Pezzone allowed two runs on two hits and three walks while striking out six in five innings of work. Mollie White entered in relief and pitched two scoreless innings, walking one and striking out three.
For the year, Langer is off to a red-hot start offensively, batting .500 (30-for-60) with three doubles and a triple, scoring 21 runs and driving in 16 more. Angelina Edwards leads the team in RBI with 29 with nine extra-base hits, including six doubles, one triple, and two home runs as she bats .369 (24-for-65) on the season. Kendra Bumgardner is third on the team in batting average (.393; 22-for-56) while ranking second in runs scored with 20, along with 12 RBI through the first month of the season.
In the circle, Pezzone is 7-1 with a 1.20 ERA, a .93 WHIP, and an opponent batting average of .194 with 48 strikeouts in 40.2 innings of work while walking just 10. Mollie White and Delaney Troxell are 4-2 and 4-1 with ERAs of 1.40 and 1.79, respectively. White has thrown 25.0 innings on the year and has a .202 opponent batting average, while Troxell has fanned 31 in 31.1 innings of work, posting a .265 batting-average against.
