West Chester at The Space Coast Games (Melbourne, Fl.)
Game Schedule:
3/8 vs Southern New Hampshire 10 a.m./12:15 p.m.
3/9 vs Felician 10 a.m.
3/9 vs Columbus State 12:15 p.m.
3/11 vs Bloomfield 10 a.m.
3/11 vs Mercy 12:15 p.m.
3/12 vs Ursuline 9 a.m.
3/12 vs Goldey-Beacom 11:15 a.m.
Last Time Out
West Chester ventured to New Jersey on Tuesday afternoon for a doubleheader at Georgian Court. West Chester won two high-scoring games, capturing game one by a 19-9 final and game two by an 11-6 final after a late-game rally to erase a four-run deficit heading into the fifth inning. In game one, West Chester scored 19 runs on 21 hits, including a pair of four-hit days from Mairead Hopkins (West Chester, Pa./Rustin), including a home run, and another four-hit day from Julia Miller (Moorestown, N.J/Moorestown). Seven different Golden Rams recorded at least two hits in the victory, and three more added at least one hit in a well-rounded offensive show of force. Lauryn Kane (Plymouth Meeting, Pa./Plymouth Whitemarsh) and Paige Marabell (Tunkhannock, Pa./Tunkhannock) each hit a home run as well in the dominant victory. Hailey Melvin (Tabernacle, N.J./Seneca) scored a team-best four runs and worked four walks, while Hopkins and Casey Best (Wilmington, Del./Concord) tied for the team lead in RBI with three. Danielle Ciliberto (Ambler, Pa./Wissahickon) (3-1) got the start and win, allowing six runs (one earned) on four hits, while striking out three, while Makenzie Edwards (Atco, N.J./Hammonton) earned her first save of the season with three strikeouts in 3.2 innings of relief.
In the nightcap, Rhiannon Henry (Lancaster, Pa./Conestoga Valley) and Alyssa Tooley (Horsham, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham) made their Golden Ram debuts in the circle, splitting the first 4.1 before Ciliberto finished the game and got her fourth win of the year with 2.2 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and striking out a pair. After leading throughout game one, West Chester trailed by four heading into the fifth before Kane and Marabell combined to cut the deficit to 4-3. Georgian Court restored a 6-3 lead in the home fifth, but West Chester answered with a six-run sixth, led by a bases clearing double from Best and a two-run home run by Marabell to take a 9-6 lead. Hopkins joined Marabell with her second home run of the day in the seventh, a two-run shot, which gave West Chester the 11-6 victory. West Chester pounded out 15 hits in the game two triumph, while also working three walks.
Flock Talk
Miller leads the team in batting average at .435 (10-for-23) on the season, while also scoring four runs and driving in two more. Hopkins and Marabell are also both batting north of .400 (.423 and .417) with seven home runs (three and four) and 19 RBI (six and 13) between the two of them. Hopkins leads the team in hits with 11, while Miller, Marabell, and Best are all tied for second with 10. Hopkins is also tied with Hailey Melvin (Tabernacle, N.J./Seneca) for the team lead in runs scored with nine. Seven of nine Golden Rams are batting north of .300 so far this season, including Kane (.391), Best (.385), and Ciliberto (.357).
In the circle, Ciliberto is a staff best 4-1 on the year with a 1.86 ERA and a .225 batting average against with 23 strikeouts in 26.1 innings of work, including a complete game effort vs Holy Family on Saturday. Edwards is 1-1 on the year with a pair of saves, posting a 4.04 ERA and a .268 batting average against with 14 strikeouts in 17.1 innings of work. Tooley and Henry made collegiate debuts earlier this week and have 2.0 and 2.1 innings of work under their belts in the early going.
Heading South
West Chester departs for the Sunshine State this afternoon and will play eight games in five days, with an off day on Monday, March 10. The team opens its stay in Florida against Southern New Hampshire on Saturday at 10 a.m. before a split doubleheader on Sunday vs Felician and Columbus State. Following its day off, the team will face Bloomfield and Mercy on Tuesday before tangling with Ursuline and Goldey-Beacom early on Wednesday morning in its final games of the week.
On the Horizon
West Chester will jump right into league play when it returns north, opening up PSAC East play at Millersville on Tuesday, March 18, before visiting Lock Haven for a doubleheader on Saturday, March 22nd. The Golden Rams' final step out of league play will be on March 23 at Jefferson (until their doubleheader vs Pace is rescheduled) before their PSAC East home opener against Kutztown on Tuesday, March 25.
Scouting the Opposition
SNHU (5-3)
Southern New Hampshire opened its season on Sunday morning in Florida and is 5-3 entering a doubleheader vs Mercy and Bridgeport on Friday with victories in two of its last three, including a 13-7 win over Clarion on Tuesday afternoon. Mackenize Bruggeman leads the team offensively, batting .419 (13-for-31) with a team-best five doubles and five RBI to start her season. Amelia Freitas is 2-2 in the circle with a 3.92 ERA in five games with four starts, including three complete games. She has a .314 batting average against and 18 strikeouts to start the year. Julianna Colbert is 1-1 with a 5.43 ERA and a .325 batting average against in four starts.
Felician (2-8)
Felician will also be nearing the end of its spring trip south when the Golden Rams face them on Sunday morning, as Sunday will be their final day in the Sunshine State. Entering play on Friday, Felician is 2-8 on the year, including a Thursday split with SNHU (L, 3-2) and a 1-0 win over Gannon. Layla Albarran leads the team in batting average at .333 (9-for-27) with three doubles and two RBI. In the circle, Riley Williams is 1-2 with a staff-best 5.13 ERA and 13 strikeouts, while Jocelyn Moody, who neutralized the Gannon offense, is 1-3 with an 8.25 ERA following her shutout of the Golden Knights.
Columbus State (14-5)
With 19 games played, Columbus State makes the short drive south for a weekend stay in Melbourne, beginning with a pair of games on Friday evening. West Chester will be Columbus State’s final game of the weekend as the Cougars look to remain hot to open the season. Holly Lynn is first on the team in batting average at .356 (16-for-35) with two doubles, seven home runs, and 17 RBI. In the circle, Lily Miller and Julianna Franklin are 6-1 and 7-4, respectively, with ERAs sub 2.00 (1.80 & 1.96) as opponents bat just .218 and .219 against them. Franklin has 61 strikeouts already this season, while Miller has 40 to her name.
Bloomfield (0-8)
Bloomfield heads to Florida looking for its first win of the season as the Bears are 0-8 on the year, including sweeps at the hands of East Stroudsburg and Millersville. Daniela Vidal is first on the team in batting average at .278 (5-for-18) as the lone Bloomfield player batting north of .200 heading into the weekend. In the circle, Rayn Romero is 0-3 with a 7.64 ERA and a .356 opponents batting average with four starts and three complete games for 22.0 innings on the season.
Mercy (2-0)
Mercy is 2-0 heading into the weekend with a doubleheader against SNHU and Holy Family on the schedule for later this afternoon. Through its first two games of the year, a sweep of Bloomfield (4-2, 4-0), Alexis Lemus and Kiera Jantz led the team offensively after going 2-for-3 in the first doubleheader of the year. Jessica Fox was 2-for-6 in that first doubleheader, including an RBI double, while also scoring two runs. Lemus leads the team in RBI with three. In the circle, Mackayla Secoda is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA and a batting-average against of .087 after striking out and allowing just two hits in her season opening outing vs Bloomfield.
Ursuline (0-6)
Ursuline is currently 0-6 on the year heading into the weekend after falling to Gannon in Florida yesterday afternoon. With limited stats available to start the year, Jaden Seay and Spenser Mohr lead the team in batting average at .375 with three hits each, while Mohr has an RBI double to her credit as well. Macy Searles is 0-2 in the circle to start the year with a 10.50 ERA and a .438 batting-average against, allowing 21 runs (13 earned) in 8.2 innings of work with two complete games to open the year.
Goldey-Beacom (9-2)
Heading into the weekend ahead of Wednesday morning’s game vs. Goldey-Beacom, West Chester remains one of just two teams to defeat Goldey-Beacom this year after earning a single-game victory over the Lightning last Friday. GBC started its stay in Florida with a split yesterday, defeating Ursuline 8-3 before falling to Roosevelt by a 6-2 final. Ariana Mirenda remains first on the team in batting average at .441 (15-for-34) with four triples and one run, while scoring a team-best 11 runs and driving in eight more, which is also the best on the team. Alesia Doctor is 1-0 in the circle with a 0.60 era with six strikeouts in 11.2 innings of work after also earning a save. Caitlyn Burch is 6-1 on the season with a 1.15 ERA and a .192 batting average against with 24 strikeouts and three complete games, including one shutout in 36.2 innings of work.
