LAKEWOOD, N.J.- The West Chester University softball team (5-2) picked up its first doubleheader sweep of the young season on Tuesday as the Golden Rams took a pair from Georgian Court (1-3) on the road on Tuesday afternoon. West Chester won the opening game by a 19-9 margin after jumping out to a 5-0 lead in the first inning before a sixth-inning comeback delivered the Golden Rams the game two victory by an 11-6 final.
Game One: WCU 19 GCU 9
WP: Makenzie Edwards (2-1)
LP: Janelle Blaszka (1-1)
Casey Best (Wilmington, Del./Concord) started the scoring with an RBI single into center, which plated
Hailey Melvin (Tabernacle, N.J./Seneca) and
Mairead Hopkins (West Chester, Pa./Rustin), who had reached to open the game.
Paige Marabell(Tunkhannock, Pa./Tunkhannock) stretched the lead to 3-0 with no outs in the first with an RBI single of her own, which scored
Lauryn Kane (Plymouth Meeting, Pa./Plymouth Whitemarsh).
West Chester tacked on another run with a one-out fielder's choice off the bat of
Sam Stein (Maplewood, N.J./Columbia), which scored Best before adding its fifth run of the opening frame with an RBI single from
Tess Kearney (Hatboro, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham).
Georgian Court got two runs back in the home half after an RBI triple to right and a sac fly, making the score at 5-2 heading into the second.
In the second inning, West Chester showcased its speed as Melvin swiped second and advanced to third on a throwing error by the Lions catcher, which allowed Hopkins and Melvin to scamper home and restore a five-run (7-2) lead.
After a scoreless home half of the second and third inning, West Chester tacked on three more runs in the fourth when Marabell hit her third home run of the spring down the left-field line before a
Lauren Daniels (Drums, Pa./Hazleton) double down the line gave West Chester a commanding 10-2 lead.
Georgian Court got five runs back in the home fourth on three hits and two errors, which cut the lead to 10-7, while leaving a pair of runners stranded.
In the top of the fifth,
Danielle Ciliberto (Ambler, Pa./Wissahickon) worked a walk, which scored a run before a pair of RBI singles from
Julia Miller (Moorestown, N.J./Moorestown) and Kearney restored a 13-5 lead. Hopkins followed Kearney's RBI single with a double down the third base line, which scored two more runs and gave the Golden Rams a commanding 15-7 lead heading into the home half of the fifth.
Eager to extend the game, Georgian Court got two runs back in the home fifth, which made the score 19-9.
In the sixth, Best doubled home Kane to stretch the lead to 16-9 before West Chester tacked on three more runs in the seventh thanks to a solo shot from Hopkins and a two-run blast from Kane, which lifted West Chester to the 19-9 victory.
Makenzie Edwards (Atco, N.J./Hammonton) got the start and pitched 3.2 innings to earn her second (2-1) win of the season, allowing three runs (one earned) on four hits, while striking out three.
Danielle Ciliberto (Ambler, Pa./Wissahickon) allowed six runs (one earned) on four hits in 3.1 innings of work, while striking out three.
Janelle Blaszka (1-1) took the loss in the circle, allowing seven runs (six earned) on five hits and four walks in two innings of work. Lillian Noyes entered in relief and pitched 4.1 innings, allowing just 12 runs on 14 hits and six walks while striking out three.
Game Two: WCU 11 GCU 6
WP: Ciliberto (3-1)
LP: Lapp (0-1)
West Chester picked up a hit in the first inning as Hopkins was aboard with a lead off single. West Chester got a runner to third with two outs after Melvin reached on a fielder's choice for the first out of the inning, but Georgian Court tight-roped out of danger to keep the score locked at 0-0.
The Lions took advantage of another Golden Ram error in the home first to take a 1-0 lead, their first of the afternoon.
Holly Muni (Hamilton, N.J./Allentown) started the second with a single to short but could not score as the Lions kept the Golden Rams off the scoreboard early.
In the home third, Georgian Court extended its lead to 4-0 after an RBI triple and double back-to-back, followed shortly thereafter by an RBI single.
The RBI double to left center closed the book on
Rhiannon Henry (Lancaster, Pa./Conestoga Valley), who made her Golden Ram debut on Tuesday evening, finishing with a final line of four runs allowed (three earned) on three hits and two walks, while striking out two in 2.1 innings of work.
Alyssa Tooley (Horsham, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham) entered in relief and limited the damage, allowing an inherited runner to score on an RBI single before working out of the inning.
In the fifth inning, Kane cut the GCU lead in half with a two-RBI single to left before advancing to second on an error to help WCU continue to threaten with one out in the fifth. After getting a big second out, Marabell doubled to center, which scored Kane and brought West Chester back to within one (4-3). The Lions escaped the inning without any further damage as they managed to get Muni to ground out to second to keep a one-run lead intact.
Georgian Court got its lead back to two in the home half of the fifth with an RBI double after a pair of errors once again extended the inning. With runners on the corners and only one out in the bottom of the fifth, head coach
Diane Lokey turned to her bullpen once again, bringing Ciliberto in to try and escape the jam with the Lions' five-hole hitter at the plate. Ciliberto got a big second out via a ground ball, but it still allowed a run to score as West Chester found itself down 6-3 once again heading into the sixth after Ciliberto got the last out of the frame on a ground ball back to the circle.
Tooley finished her collegiate debut with a final line of two unearned runs on three hits in two innings of work.
For Georgian Court, Julia Lapp got the start and pitched the first five innings, allowing three runs on 10 hits, while walking one and striking out another. Blaszka entered in relief to start the sixth.
Miller welcomed the Lions game one starter to the game with a single to left before
Madison Peck (Royersford, Pa./Spring Ford) laced a single of her own into to left to give West Chester runners on first and second with no outs in the sixth. The Lions got a big first out via a strikeout before Hopkins worked a walk to load the bases with one out. Melvin worked a walk of her own to plate Miller, which led to the return of Lapp with just one out in the sixth. Georgian Court got a big second out on a fielder's choice off the bat of Kane but it did a job for West Chester, cutting the lead down to 6-5 with two away in the sixth. 0-for-3 in the nightcap, Best flipped her game quickly with a two-RBI double down the left-field line, which cleared the bases and gave the Golden Rams a late 7-6 lead.
Marabell kept the big inning going with a two-run home run to left center, which gave West Chester a more comfortable 9-6 lead heading into the home half of the sixth.
After a 1,2,3 sixth, West Chester tacked on two more runs in the seventh when Hopkins delivered a two-run shot of her own to make the score 11-6 in favor of the Golden Rams.
Ciliberto (3-1) earned the victory in relief, her third of the season, after pitching 2.2 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit, while striking out a pair.
After returning in relief, Lapp suffered her first loss of the year, finishing with a final line of seven runs allowed over 6.2 innings on 13 hits, while walking one and striking out a pair.
Up Next
West Chester will be back in action on Saturday for its first of eight games in Florida against Southern New Hampshire, beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday.
