WEST CHESTER, Pa.- The West Chester University softball team (23-12, 9-9) picked up an important split vs Millersville (22-16, 6-12) on Thursday afternoon to split the season series with the Marauders. West Chester dropped game one by a 3-1 final before roaring back to capture the nightcap by a 9-1 final in six innings.
Game One: Millersville 3 WCU 1
WP: Mollie White (4-3)
LP: Makenzie Edwards (8-6)
Paige Marabell (Tunkhannock, Pa./Tunkhannock) gave West Chester an early 1-0 lead with a solo home run to right in the home half of he second.
In the third, Millersville tied the game and took a 2-1 lead with aggressive base running that forced mistakes by the Golden Ram infield on a pair of double steal attempts before a single to left center stretched the Marauder lead to 3-1.
West Chester loaded the bases with no outs in the home half of the third, which led to Mollie White entering in relief for the Marauders. White got a double play ball from
Casey Best (Wilmington, Del./Concord) to get two quick outs as she lined out to short, and the Marauders doubled off
Mairead Hopkins (West Chester, Pa./Rustin) before escaping the inning on a deep fly ball off the bat of Marabell.
White settled in after this and set West Chester down quickly in the fourth and fifth before the Golden Rams got back-to-back singles to open the sixth and put runners on first and second with no outs. White escaped the jam with a pair of pop-outs and a big strikeout to keep the two-run lead intact as Millersville opened the doubleheader with a 3-1 victory.
In relief, White was outstanding for Millersville, allowing just three hits in five scoreless innings while striking out five.
Makenzie Edwards (Atco, N.J./Hammonton) suffered the loss for West Chester, allowing three unearned runs on three hits and five walks while striking out four in three innings.
Alyssa Tooley (Horsham, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham) entered in relief and was brilliant, allowing just two hits and a walk while striking out six.
Game Two: WCU 9 Millersville 1 (6 Innings)
WP: Danielle Ciliberto (11-5)
LP: Delaney Troxell (7-6)
Millersville took an early lead with an RBI single through the right side in the top of the first before Marabell singled home a pair with two outs in the home half of the first to erase the early deficit.
In the third inning,
Danielle Ciliberto (Ambler, Pa./Wissahickon) drove in another run via an RBI ground out before Marabell doubled home another run for her third RBI of the game and fourth of the day to give West Chester a 4-1 lead.
Millersville got a one-out double in the fifth and a two-out double in the sixth, but
Danielle Ciliberto (Ambler, Pa./Wissahickon) worked around the baserunner in both innings to keep a 4-1 lead intact heading into the bottom of the sixth.
In the sixth, West Chester scored five runs on four hits, including an RBI double by
Gianna Liciardello (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Carroll), an RBI single by
Sabrie Purnell (New Castle, Del./William Penn), and a two-run home run by Hopkins to end it. West Chester also scored a run on a sac fly off the bat of
Lauryn Kane (Plymouth Meeting, Pa./Plymouth Whitemarsh) earlier in the inning.
Ciliberto (11-5) was outstanding as she earned her third win in two days with a six-inning effort, which saw her allow just one run on eight hits while striking out three as West Chester picked up an important split with Millersville to split the season series with the Marauders.
Delaney Troxell (7-6) was saddled with the loss, allowing four runs on five hits and two strikeouts in four innings. Angelina Saverase pitched the final 1.2, allowing five runs on four hits, including the game-ending home run by Hopkins.
Up Next
West Chester will be back in action on Monday at home against Lock Haven, beginning at 1 p.m.
