WILLIAMSPORT, Pa.- The West Chester University softball team (12-10, 4-2) was back in action on Sunday afternoon at Lycoming Valley Intermediate School against Mansfield (3-13, 0-8) in a PSAC East clash. Playing its first two games of a six-game, three-day run, West Chester jumped out to an early lead in both games and won the opener by a 7-4 final before capturing the nightcap by a 12-1 final in five innings.
Game One: WCU 7 Mansfield 4
WP: Danielle Ciliberto (7-5)
LP: Reilly Storer (0-3)
West Chester scored four runs in the first inning, beginning with a double steal, which scored
Mairead Hopkins (West Chester, Pa./Rustin) before
Paige Marabell (Tunkhannock, Pa./Tunkhannock) doubled home
Kayla Fitzpatrick (Carle Place, N.Y./Sacred Heart Academy) to give West Chester a 2-0 lead.
Ceara O'Neal (Hamilton, N.J./Steinert) doubled the lead with a two-run blast, which gave the Golden Rams a comfortable 4-0 lead.
Sarah Shupp cut the lead to 4-1 with a solo shot in the home first before West Chester added another in the second via a solo home run by Hopkins.
Holly Muni (Hamilton, N.J./Allentown) blasted a two-run home run of her own in the third, which gave West Chester a 7-1 lead.
It appeared as if West Chester might cruise to a 7-1 victory before Mansfield scored three runs on four hits in the seventh, including a leadoff double, which helped the hosts kickstart their ill-fated comeback effort.
Ciliberto improved to 7-5 in the victory as she allowed four runs on nine hits, while striking out seven in 6.1 innings of work.
Maci Strechay (Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley) entered in relief and got the last two outs, including a strikeout to finish off the game-one victory.
Reilly Storer suffered the loss for Mansfield in the opener, allowing seven runs on nine hits and three walks, while striking out five in 5.0 innings of work.
Game Two WCU 12 Mansfield 1
WP: Maci Strechay (2-4)
LP: Bri Lock (0-2)
Marabell gave West Chester a quick 3-0 lead in the first inning of game two with a towering three-run home run before Muni plated another run with an RBI single as West Chester took a 4-0lead into the home first once again.
Marabell continued her incredible afternoon with a two-run blast in the second before West Chester scored two more on an error off the bat of
Tess Kearney (Hatboro, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham) to take an 8-0 lead into the third.
In the third, West Chester scored another run via an error as
Ella Heap (York, Pa./Central York) found her way home before Fitzpatrick brought home the 10
th run on a sac fly.
West Chester continued to dominate in the fourth inning as Kearney doubled home the 11
th run and scored moments later on an error by the Mansfield catcher to give the Golden Rams a 12-0 lead.
Mansfield got a run back in the fourth with an RBI single, which cut the Golden Rams lead to 12-1 heading into the fifth.
After a scoreless top of the fifth, West Chester countered with a scoreless bottom of the fifth to finish off a 12-1 victory in five innings.
Strechay earned the win in the nightcap with five strong innings, allowing just one run on five hits, while walking two and striking out five to earn her second win.
Bri Lock suffered the loss for Mansfield, allowing eight runs (six earned) on seven hits and a walk, while striking out two.
Up Next
West Chester will be back in action at home tomorrow against Shippensburg, beginning at 1 p.m.
