WEST CHESTER, Pa.- After playing to a split with Kutztown in its PSAC East home opener on Tuesday, the 25
th-ranked West Chester University softball team (19-6, 5-3) swept a doubleheader from Mansfield (4-14, 3-7) on Friday afternoon, capturing game one by a 6-2 final before winning the nightcap by an 8-0 final in five innings.
Game One: WCU 6 Mansfield 2
WP: Danielle Ciliberto (7-3)
LP: Annabella Putnam (3-5)
Mansfield took a first-inning lead on an RBI single from Sarah Shupp, but West Chester countered quickly in the home half, as
Mairead Hopkins (West Chester, Pa./Rustin) came around to score on an error by the Mounties' third baseman, tying the game at 1-1.
In the second,
Tess Kearney (Hatboro, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham) doubled the lead with an RBI fielder's choice that plated
Hailey Melvin (Tabernacle, N.J./Seneca).
Daneille Ciliberto (Ambler, Pa./Wissahickon) helped her own cause in the third with an RBI single to stretch the lead to 3-0 before
Casey Best (Wilmington, Del./Concord) dorve in another run in the fourth with an RBI single of her own, which gave West Chester a comfortable 4-1 lead.
Melvin tripled in a run in the third before scoring on a groundout by Kearney moments later, which extended the Golden Ram lead to 6-1 heading into the sixth.
Mansfield tried to mount a late rally in the seventh and got one run back with a two-run double, but this was as close as Ciliberto and the Golden Rams allowed the Mountaineers to get, finishing off a convincing 6-2 victory.
Ciliberto improved to 7-3 on the mound with a complete-game effort, which saw her scatter just three hits and two runs (one earned), along with three walks and eight strikeouts.
For Mansfield, Putnam fell to 3-5 on the year after a strong complete-game effort of her own, which saw her surrender six runs (five earned) on seven hits and six walks while striking out five.
Game Two: WCU 8 Mansfield 0 (5 Innings)
WP: Makenzie Edwards (8-3)
LP: Reilly Storer (1-5)
Lauryn Kane (Plymouth Meeting, Pa./Plymouth Whitemarsh) singled home the first run of the game before Best followed this up with an RBI single of her own to stretch the lead to 2-0 in the third.
West Chester extended its lead to five in the fourth when Kearney doubled home a run and then scored along with Hopkins on a two-RBI single from
Julia Miller (Moorestown, N.J./Moorestown).
In the fifth, Melvin came through with yet another two-RBI triple, which extended the lead to 7-0 before scoring on an RBI single from Kearney moments later to end the game early with an 8-0 Golden Ram victory.
Makenzie Edwards (Atco, N.J./Hammonton) picked up the complete-game win in the circle, allowing just four hits and two walks while striking out nine.
Reilly Storer suffered the loss for Mansfield, allowing five runs on six hits and two walks, before
Emma Maurer entered in relief and allowed three runs on three hits while walking a pair and striking out one in one inning of work.
Up Next
West Chester will be back in action tomorrow afternoon at Shippensburg in a doubleheader against the Raiders beginning at 1 p.m.
