STROUDSBURG, Pa.- The West Chester University softball team (32-28) fell to Shippensburg (32-20) by a 4-3 final in heartbreaking fashion to end a long day at the ballpark, which featured four weather delays, including one that lasted over two hours. Brie Wilmot was the walk-off hero for Shippensburg on Thursday as she came through with a two-out, two-strike home run to lift the Raiders to the walk-off victory.
"Absolutely a tough loss," acknowledged head coach
Diane Lokey following the game. "Today was a really long day and a really challenging day mentally to continue refocusing, and it was great to see how they continued to fight even through long delays all day."
After an over two-hour weather delay, Sarah Sabocsik gave the Raiders a 1-0 lead in the third with an RBI double to left center before Katelyn Minney doubled the lead in the fourth with an RBI single through the right side of the Golden Ram infield.
Shippensburg pushed another run across via another RBI single in the fifth, taking advantage of an infield single by Emilee Sullivan to stretch the lead to 3-0 heading into the sixth.
Mairead Hopkins (West Chester, Pa./Rustin) singled through the left side, giving West Chester an early runner.
Paige Marabell (Tunkhannock, Pa./Tunkhannock) worked a two-out walk before
Casey Best (Wilmington, Del./Concord) reached on an infield single to load the bases with two outs.
Lauryn Kane (Plymouth Meeting, Pa./Plymouth Whitemarsh) laced a bases-clearing double into the left center field gap, tying the game at 3-3 with two outs in the sixth.
"It was a great moment and a great piece of hitting by Lauryn," said Lokey when asked about the game-tying double. "We had a good inning up to that point, and she did a great job of making a really nice adjustment to what the pitcher had been throwing her all day," said Lokey.
Danielle Ciliberto (Ambler, Pa./Wissahickon) got the start for West Chester and worked the first five innings, allowing three runs on eight hits while striking out one.
Makenzie Edwards (Atco, N.J./Hammonton) entered in relief in the sixth and worked around a lead-off walk, thanks in part to an unconventional 3-6 double play ball to keep the game tied heading into the seventh.
Rain returned for the seventh inning and prompted yet another rain delay. Following the rain delay, Shippensburg worked a scoreless seventh inning, and West Chester was just a strike away from doing the same before Brie Wilmot ended the game with one swing, blasting a home run to left and lifting the Raiders to a 4-3 victory.
Edwards (9-9) suffered the loss in the circle, allowing just one hit and a walk while striking out one. Unfortunately, this one hit was the game-winning home run as the Raiders outlasted the rain and the Golden Rams to earn a 4-3 victory.
Alicia Ball (12-12) improved to 12-12 on the year with a complete-game victory, allowing three runs on four hits and five walks, while striking out four.
Up Next
West Chester is scheduled to play eight-seeded Bowie State in an elimination game tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. Information on the game's status will be provided as it becomes available.
