WEST CHESTER, Pa.- Following a 12-inning doubleheader sweep of Mansfield on Sunday, the West Chester University softball team (14-10, 6-2) duplicated the feat on Monday afternoon at home against Shippensburg (14-8, 4-4) as West Chester captured game one by a 5-3 final in seven innings before winning the nightcap by a 10-2 final in just five innings after an explosive seven-run fourth inning, highlighted by a
Danielle Ciliberto (Ambler, Pa./Wissahickon) grand slam.
Game One WCU 5 SHIP 3
WP: Danielle Ciliberto (8-5)
LP: Dani Hayward (8-3)
S: Maci Strechay (4)
Shippensburg scored its first run of the game via a bases-loaded walk before Ciliberto, who had entered in relief of
Maci Strechay (Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley), got out of trouble with an unconventional 1-2-3 doubleplay and a ground out to third to escape the inning without any further damage.
West Chester erased the deficit and took a one-run lead in the home third with a two-RBI double to left off the bat of
Kayla Fitzpatrick (Carle Place, N.Y./Sacred Heart Academy) to give West Chester a 2-1 lead heading into the fourth.
West Chester added three runs in the fourth, beginning with an errant throw to third on a bunt by
Emma Zoldi (Newtown, Pa./Council Rock North), which scored
Presley Foote (Yardley, Pa./Pennsbury), who had pinch run for
Holly Muni (Hamilton, N.J./Allentown) after a Muni double earlier in the inning.
Mairead Hopkins (West Chester, Pa./Rustin) stretched the lead from 3-1 to 5-1 with one swing as she laced a two-RBI single into center to give West Chester a commanding 5-1 lead heading into the fifth.
Back-to-back errors with two outs in the fifth helped Shippensburg extend what was nearly a quick inning for the Golden Rams and eventually scratch across their second run of the game with an RBI single up the middle before Ciliberto escaped the inning with a pop fly to center.
In the sixth, Shippensburg started the inning with a double to left and a few batters later scored its third run of the game with an RBI single through the left side, which closed the book on Ciliberto, who had entered in relief of Strechay back in the third inning. Strechay got her first out on a foul-out to Muni before escaping the inning with a big strikeout to keep a 5-3 lead heading into the home sixth.
After a scoreless bottom of the sixth, Strechay worked around an early runner in the seventh to finish off the 5-3 victory and pick up her fourth save of the season.
Strechay pitched 3.2 innings in the victory, allowing one run on four hits and a walk, while striking out a pair. Ciliberto was victorious in the circle, allowing just two runs (one earned) on four hits and two walks in 3.1 innings of work after entering in the top of the third.
PSAC East Pitcher of the Week, Dani Hayward (8-3) allowed five runs (three earned) on six hits, while walking two and striking out four in the loss.
Game Two WCU 10 SHIP 2 (5 Innings)
WP: Alyssa Tooley (4-1)
LP: Kaira Zamadics (1-1)
S: Ciliberto (1)
After a quick top of the first,
Mairead Hopkins (West Chester, Pa./Rustin) led off the home first with a solo home run to left, which gave West Chester an early 1-0 lead. West Chester threatened later in the inning with runners on first and second, but Kaira Zamadics worked out of the inning to keep the deficit at one heading into the second.
Shippensburg led off the second with a double and later tied the game with a one-out sac fly to center, sending the game to the bottom of the first locked at 1-1.
West Chester did not remain tied for long as Hopkins restored the lead with an RBI single with two outs in the second before scoring her second run of the game on an RBI single by Fitzpatrick moments later to give West Chester a 3-1 lead.
Shippensburg got a run back in the third via a fielding error, taking advantage of a fielding error by the Golden Rams to score its second run of the game after starting the inning with a single up the middle.
Madalyn Dyer entered in the bottom of the third in relief of Kaira Zamadics, who allowed three runs on four hits and two walks in two innings of work. Dyer worked a speedy 1,2,3 third inning with a strikeout to get her team right back in the dugout, trailing by just one.
In the fourth, West Chester loaded the baes without a hit after a pair of walks and a pair of hit by pitches before Fitzpatrick and Marabell worked bases-loaded walks to bring home a pair of runs and give West Chester a 5-2 lead. The walk of Marabell ended Dyer's day as Mikayla Fontana entered with bases loaded and just one out in the fourth. Fontana entered in relief to face
Ceara O'Neal (Hamilton, N.J./Steinert) and yielded another bases-loaded walk to stretch the lead to 6-2 before Ciliberto unloaded the bases with one swing of the bat, driving a grand slam to left to give West Chester a 10-2 lead. This grand slam was the Golden Rams first hit of the inning as the remainder of the inning had been a combination of walks and hit by pitches to load the bases and scored the three runs of the frame. Fontana allowed a single to Kearney but escaped the inning without further damage after a pair of fly outs to center, but the damage was done as West Chester scored seven runs in the fourth on four walks and two hit-by-pitches along with just two hits to take a 10-2 lead into the fifth.
Suddenly in need of just three outs to sweep the doubleheader from Shippensburg, Ciliberto allowed a leadoff single but got three quick outs after this on a fly out to right, a line out to center, and a ground to third to finish off a 10-2 victory on Monday night.
The pitching decisions changed drastically for West Chester with the game ending in five innings as
Alyssa Tooley (Horsham, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham) picked up the win after allowing two runs (one earned)on five hits and a pair of strikeouts to improve to 4-1, while Ciliberto earned her first save of the season with a scoreless 1.2 innings of relief after entering with a one-run lead in the top of the fourth.
Zamadics suffered the loss for Shippensburg, allowing three runs on four hits and two walks, while striking out one. Dyer did not allow a hit in her 1.1 innings of work but was charged with five runs on three walks and a pair of hit-by-pitches, while striking out one. Fontana allowed the last two runs on two hits and a walk before she could record the last two outs of the fourth inning.
Up Next
West Chester will be back in action on Friday at home against Shepherd, beginning at 1 p.m.
