WEST CHESTER, Pa.- Winners of five of six, including three of four to start the weekend against Shippensburg and Kutztown, the West Chester University softball team (15-13, 7-5) returned home on Friday afternoon to host Shepherd (12-11, 7-5) in an important PSAC East clash on South Campus. West Chester dropped game one by a 2-0 final before falling in the nightcap by an 8-0 final in six innings as Shepherd left West Chester with its first sweep of the Golden Rams since April 2021.
Shepherd got masterful pitching performances from Natalee Harvey and Madelayne Ruffner throughout the day on Friday to deliver a pair of shutout victories over the Golden Rams, marking the first time West Chester has been held scoreless in both ends of a doubleheader since a sweep at the hands of Southern New Hampshire by identical 3-0 finals in March 2019 (3/15/19), a season, which ended with the Golden Rams second of three consecutive Atlantic Regional titles.
Game One: Shepherd 2 WCU 0
WP: Natalee Harvey (5-3)
LP: Maci Strechay (2-5)
S: Madelayne Ruffner (3)
Shepherd took an early 1-0 lead in the first with a solo home run in the first before adding a run in the third via an RBI single to take a 2-0 lead.
West Chester was held hitless through the first four innings before
Mairead Hopkins (West Chester, Pa./Rustin) started the fifth with a line drive single back up the middle before an errant throw off a sac bunt gave West Chester runners on the corners with no outs.
With its run suddenly in jeopardy, Shepherd turned to Madelayne Ruffner in relief, and she made the most of this vote of confidence as she struck out the side to escape the jam and help Natalee Harvey (5-3) finish with a final line of one hit and four walks in four scoreless innings with a pair of strikeouts.
Ruffner held West Chester hitless in her three innings of relief, striking out six to earn the rare nine-out save.
Maci Strechay (Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley) suffered a tough-luck loss, allowing two runs on five hits and two walks, while striking out four to fall to 2-5 on the season.
Game Two Shepherd 8 WCU 0 (6 Innings)
WP: Ruffner (5-5)
LP: Danielle Ciliberto (8-7)
Shepherd took advantage of a pair of Golden Ram defensive miscues at the top of the second to take an early 2-0 lead with a pair of unearned runs off
Danielle Ciliberto (Ambler, Pa./Wissahickon), who earned the start in the circle in the nightcap.
Shepherd scored five runs in the fourth inning, including a two-RBI double and a two-run home run, capitalizing on two more Golden Ram defensive miscues to take a 7-0 lead into the home half of the fourth and eventually the fifth after another 1,2,3 inning by Ruffner.
In the sixth, Shepherd started the inning with a double and scratched across its eighth run of the game via a one-out sac fly to left to take an 8-0 lead into the home half of the sixth.
In the sixth inning, West Chester got a baserunner via an error by the Rams' shortstop and another on Ciliberto's second hit of the afternoon but the game ended on a strikeout as the Rams halted the Golden Rams two-out rally.
Ciliberto allowed seven runs (all unearned) on eight hits, while striking out three in 3.2 innings of work.
Alyssa Tooley (Horsham, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham) entered in relief and allowed an unearned run on one hit (a sixth-inning double to left) in 2.1 innings of work in the 8-0 loss.
After earning her third save of the year in game one, Ruffner pitched four scoreless innings in the nightcap, scattering three hits, while striking out five, before Harvey entered in relief and delivered two scoreless innings of her own, including the strikeout to end the game.
Up Next
West Chester will be back in action tomorrow at Bloomsburg, beginning at 11 a.m.
