MILLERSVILLE, Pa.- The West Chester University softball team (24-18, 14-10) bounced back from a pair of losses at Shippensburg on Saturday with two road wins over Millersville (19-25, 8-18) on Tuesday afternoon to split the season series with the Marauders. West Chester had to hold off a pair of late-game comebacks on Tuesday, winning game one by a 10-8 final after jumping out to a 10-1 lead before capturing the nightcap by a 7-6 final after holding a 7-3 lead entering the seventh.'
Game One: WCU 10 Millersville 8
WP: Alyssa Tooley (9-3)
LP: Nicolina Pezzone (2-11)
S: Maci Strechay (5)
A pair of RBI singles by
Tess Kearney (Hatboro, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham) and
Ceara O'Neal (Hamilton, N.J./Steinert) gave West Chester an early 2-0 lead heading to the bottom of the first
Millersville got a run back with an RBI single of its own in the home first, but West Chester responded in the second with another two-RBI single by Kearney to take a 4-1 lead.
West Chester loaded the bases with no outs in the third inning and scored three with one out after
Mairead Hopkins (West Chester, Pa./Rustin) was hit by a pitch, and
Julia Miller (Moorestown, Pa./Moorestown) singled home a pair to give the Golden Rams a commanding 7-1 lead. Kearney added, yet another RBI single, which stretched the lead to 8-1 before O'Neal worked a bases-loaded walk and
Kayla Fitzpatrick (Carle Place, N.Y./Sacred Heart Academy) drove home the 10
th run on a sac fly to give West Chester a 10-1 lead.
Millersville got a run back in the third and a pair in the fourth, cutting the lead to 10-4 heading into the fifth. The Marauders continued their comeback bid with a four-run fifth inning as the Golden Rams nine-run lead evaporated into a two-run lead heading into the sixth.
West Chester held down Millersville over the final two innings, and the Marauders did the same to the Golden Rams as the visitors held for a 10-8 game one victory.
Danielle Ciliberto (Ambler, Pa./Wissahickon) got the start and pitched the first three innings, allowing two runs on seven hits, while striking out one.
Alyssa Tooley (Horsham, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham) earned her ninth win of the year in relief, allowing four runs on three hits, while walking and striking out a pair in relief.
Maci Strechay (Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley) earned her fifth save of the year by pitching the final three innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits, while striking out four.
Nicolina Pezzone (2-11) suffered the loss for Millersville, allowing six runs on five hits and five walks in two innings of work in the game one setback.
Kearney was 4-for-5 with four RBI in the victory, while also scoring a run.
Game Two WCU 7 Millersville 6
WP: Jaelyn Silfies (1-0)
LP: Delaney Troxell (14-11)
S: Ciliberto (4)
Millersville took an early lead with a first-inning home run, but West Chester answered quickly with an O'Neal home run in the second to tie the game at 1-1.
The Marauders pushed across a pair in the second to take a 3-1 lead before West Chester countered with two runs of its own in the third on a Miller RI single and a sac fly by Ciliberto to tie the game at 3-3.
Ciliberto gave West Chester the lead for good in the fifth with an RBI single to make the score 5-3.
Lauryn Kane (Plymouth Meeting, Pa./Plymouth Whitemarsh) and Miller both picked up RBI singles in the sixth, and
Alexa Paradis (
Newbury Park, Cal./Newbury Park) added an RBI double in the top of the sixth to give West Chester a commanding 7-3 lead.
This four-run lead proved vital for West Chester in the seventh as Millersville scored three runs with only one out, but Ciliberto and the Golden Rams tightroped out of danger to hold for a 7-6 victory over the Marauders.
Ciliberto earned the save in the nightcap, pitching the final 2.2 innings, scattering three runs on five hits in relief of
Jaelyn Silfies (Bangor, Pa./Bangor), who pitched 2.2 innings in relief, allowing just two walks, while striking out three for her first win of the season.
Delaney Troxell (14-11) suffered the loss in the nightcap for Millersville, allowing seven runs on 11 hits and two walks, while striking out one.
Miller was 3-for-3 in the nightcap with two RBI, a run, and a walk in a solid series finale at the plate for the sophomore infielder.
Up Next
West Chester will return to action this weekend with important doubleheaders against East Stroudsburg and Kutztown before the final week of the regular season begins next week.
