KUTZTOWN, Pa.- The West Chester University softball team (26-13, 12-10) went on the road on Tuesday afternoon for its second doubleheader in as many days as the Golden Rams visited No. 16 Kutztown (30-11, 14-8) for the final two games of the series against the Golden Bears. West Chester dropped game one by an 8-0 final in six innings before winning the nightcap by a 4-1 final after sitting through a 45-minute weather delay between the fourth and fifth innings.
Game One: #16 Kutztown 8 WCU 0
WP: Haley Gravish (18-5)
LP: Alyssa Tooley (4-2)
A pair of two RBI singles in the first and third innings gave Kutztown an early 4-0 lead heading into the fourth.
In the fourth, a Golden Ram throwing error plated two more runs before the Golden Rams executed a double steal in the sixth to take a commanding 7-0 lead.
Leading by seven with a runner on second and two outs in the sixth, Kutztown put the game out of reach and brought it to an early ending with a double down the left field line as the Golden Bears toppled the Golden Rams by an 8-0 final to earn at least a split of the season series vs WCU.
Haley Gravish was excellent for Kutztown, allowing just five hits while striking out four in six shutout innings.
Alyssa Tooley (Horsham, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham) suffered the loss in the circle, allowing three runs on five hits while striking out one as she pitched the first 2.1 innings.
Makenzie Edwards (Atco, N.J./Hammonton) entered in relief and allowed five runs (three earned) on eight hits while striking out two in 3.1 innings of work.
Game Two: WCU 4 #16 Kutztown 1
WP: Danielle Ciliberto (13-5)
LP: Natalee Harvey (3-4)
In the nightcap, West Chester got back-to-back one-out singles by
Hailey Melvin (Tabernacle, N.J./Seneca) and Danielle Ciliberto (Ambler, Pa./Wissahickon) and, after an RBI single by
Paige Marabell (Tunkhannock, Pa./Tunkhannock), took its first lead of the day at 1-0.
Natalee Harvey tight-roped out of danger with a pair of ground balls to leave Golden Rams on second and third and keep the deficit at one run heading into the home half of the first.
After escaping a jam in the bottom of the first and a scoreless second inning, West Chester loaded the bases with one out in the third thanks to another Ciliberto single and pair of walks by Marabell and
Casey Best (Wilmington, Del./Concord). Best's walk temporarily closed the book on Harvey as Abbey Wagner entered in relief in hopes of working out of the jam with limited damage.
Lauryn Kane (Plymouth Meeting, Pa./Plymouth Whitemarsh) doubled the lead as she drove the 0-1 offering through the left side of the Golden Bear infield to make it a 2-0 lead.
Madison Peck (Royersford, Pa./Spring Ford) kept the line moving with an eight-pitch at bat that ended with a bases-loaded walk before the Golden Bears escaped the inning on a 5-2-3 double play ball to keep the deficit at 3-0.
Ciliberto drove in a run in the fourth with another single to right, plating
Mairead Hopkins (West Chester, Pa./Rustin) as the Golden Rams claimed a 4-0 lead heading into the home fourth.
This was West Chester's final run of the game, but Ciliberto was outstanding in her 13
th win of the year, allowing just one sixth inning run on six hits and a walk while striking out a pair to help West Chester complete the series split against the Golden Bears.
Harvey suffered the loss for Kutztown, allowing three runs on six hits and two walks while striking out two. Abbey Wagner allowed one run on four hits and a walk in 1.1 innings after entering early in relief of Harvey to help escape a bases-loaded jam.
Up Next
West Chester will be back in action on Friday at Mansfield, beginning at 2 p.m., before hosting Shippensburg on Saturday, beginning at 1 p.m.
