WEST CHESTER, Pa.- The West Chester University softball team (29-14, 15-11) returned home on Saturday afternoon for an important doubleheader against Shippensburg (25-17, 13-13) as both teams looked to improve their positioning in the fight for a spot in the PSAC Tournament field when play gets underway on April 30. West Chester erased a two-run deficit in the seventh inning to win game one by a 3-2 final before falling victim to a late-game comeback in the nightcap, falling to the Raiders by a 4-3 final to split the doubleheader.
With today's split, Shippensburg wins the season series over the Golden Rams 3-1 after sweeping a doubleheader in Shippensburg in late March.
Prior to the doubleheader, West Chester paused to honor its senior class of
Hailey Melvin (Tabernacle, N.J./Seneca), Makenzie Edwards (Atco, N.J./Hammonton), and
Casey Best (Wilmington, Del./Concord) for all their contributions to the Golden Rams throughout their four years wearing the Purple and Gold. Entering play, this quartet had accounted for 125 victories overall and 63 in PSAC East play.
Game One: WCU 3 Shippensburg 2
WP: Danielle Ciliberto (15-5)
LP: Alicia Ball (9-9)
Shippensburg loaded the bases twice in the first three innings, but
Danielle Ciliberto (Ambler, Pa./Wissahickon) worked out of danger both times to keep the game locked at 0-0.
The Raiders pushed across their first run of the game in the fourth with an RBI groundout before doubling their lead in the top of the seventh with an RBI single, which seemed as if it would be enough to open the doubleheader with a 2-0 victory over the Golden Rams.
Held to just two hits through the first six innings, West Chester got runners on second and third with two outs courtesy of a wild pitch early in
Mairead Hopkins (West Chester, Pa./Rustin). Down to her last strike, Hopkins picked up her second hit of the day with a double into the right center gap, which scored both
Tess Kearney (Hatboro, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham) and Julia Miller (Moorestown, N.J./Moorestown) who had walked and reached on a fielder's choice early in the inning.
Hailey Melvin (Tabernacle, N.J./Seneca) made her senior day extra special with another walk-off hit, lining a single up the middle, which was enough for Hopkins to race around the bases and slide in under the tag to lift West Chester to the 3-2 comeback victory.
Ciliberto (15-5) earned her 15
th win of the year with a complete-game effort, which saw her scatter nine hits and two runs (one earned) while walking one and striking out six.
Alicia Ball suffered the loss for Shippensburg, allowing three runs on four hits and four walks in 6.2 innings of work as she fell to 9-9 on the year.
Game Two: SHIP 4 WCU 3
WP: Dani Hayward (9-5)
LP: Makenzie Edwards (8-7)
Shippensburg took advantage of a pair of Golden Ram defensive miscues to take an early 2-0 lead over the Golden Rams.
In the second, Miller singled home a pair of runs with a two-out, two-RBI single to center before advancing to second on the throw home. Miller found her way home moments later when Kearney drove a single through the left side of the Raider infield to score Miller and made her way to second on the throw in as West Chester continued to threaten. Shippensburg escaped the inning without any further damage, but the important damage was done as the Golden Rams held a 3-2 lead heading into the third.
It appeared as if Ciliberto may have doubled the West Chester lead with a drive to straightaway center, but it went off the top of the wall and held her to a single as the Raiders got the ball back in quickly.
Edwards got the senior day start in game two and settled in nicely after a rocky first inning, pitching scoreless innings in the second, third, and fourth with the third and fourth being 1,2,3 innings.
Edwards allowed a walk to open the fifth but worked around the walk well to keep the 3-2 lead intact.
Edwards got a quick first out to start the sixth before back-to-back singles led to head coach
Diane Lokey emerging from the dugout and turning to the bullpen for the first time on Saturday as
Alyssa Tooley (Horsham, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham) entered in relief. Tooley allowed a walk to load the bases and was replaced by Ciliberto as the Golden Rams looked to escape the bases-loaded jam.
Ciliberto got a ground ball to third, but it wasn't fielded cleanly, as the grounder tied the game and kept the bases loaded with just one out. The Raiders took the lead in the next at-bat with a sac fly to left to take a 4-3 lead. Ciliberto escaped the inning with a ground ball to second as West Chester trailed by just one heading into the home half of the sixth.
West Chester tried to mount a comeback late, but it was to no avail as Dani Hayward finished off her complete game victory to improve to 9-5 on the year. Hayward pitched well in the complete-game victory, allowing just three runs on eight hits and a walk while striking out three on 112 pitches.
Edwards suffered the senior day setback, allowing four runs (one earned) on five hits and a walk while striking out three in 5.1 innings.
Up Next
West Chester will be back in action on Tuesday afternoon at top-10 foe East Stroudsburg in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
