BINGHAMTON, N.Y.- Mairead Hopkins (West Chester, Pa./Rustin) hit her second home run of the day and became the Golden Rams career home run leader in the process with her 30^th career home run to help lead the West Chester University softball team (29-23) to a 9-5 victory over PSAC East Regular Season Champion, Kutztown (34-19), on Wednesday night at the Grand Slam Sports Complex in Binghamton, New York.

"I'm proud of the fight we showed all day today," started head coach Diane Lokey following the Golden Rams second win of the day. "It was a tough day to be sure, with the weather and a long day of softball, but we showed great fight all day, and I'm really proud of this group. Getting out to an early lead against Kutztown after not playing well against them last time we saw them was great, and then to keep adding runs the way we did, I'm very happy with the effort," finished Lokey.

West Chester jumped out to a five-run lead in the top of the first and never looked back, but did get important insurance runs late in the game from Hopkins as she drove in three of the final four runs, including a two-run blast in the fifth, which gave her the career home run record. After a complete-game gem to open the Tournament, Danielle Ciliberto (Ambler, Pa./Wissahickon) returned in relief in the nightcap and picked up her 14^th win of the season as she struck out six in 4.2 innings of work in relief.

"I'm so proud of this group," started Hopkins. "Setting the record tonight is great, but we have a lot of goals to accomplish ahead of us this week and this month, so we are far from done."

West Chester jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first inning with an RBI fielder's choice by Kayla Fitzpatrick (Carle Place, N.Y./Sacred Heart Academy) to drive in the first run before Danielle Ciliberto (Ambler, Pa./Wissahickon) came through with a bases-clearing three RBI double, which gave the Golden Rams a 4-0 lead. Ciliberto came around to score with two outs in the inning when Holly Muni (Hamilton, N.J./Allentown) reached on a throwing error to give the Golden Rams a 5-0 lead.

Kutztown cut into the Golden Ram lead in the first with a solo home run to center, but Maci Strechay (Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley) got back-to-back strikeouts to finish the first inning with a 5-1 lead.
Fitzpatrick added to the lead with an RBI single in the second before Kutztown loaded the bases in the home half of the second and scored two more runs on a sac fly to center and an RBI single to cut the lead in half, making the score 6-3 heading into the third.

After a scoreless third and fourth, Hopkins etched her name in history as she became the Golden Rams career home run leader with the 30^th of her career with a two-run blast to right center, which gave the Golden Rams a commanding 8-3 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth.

This two-run home run proved important as Kutztown got two runs back in the fifth and nearly added another in the sixth after a two-out double down the left-field line but Emma Zoldi (Newtown, Pa./Council Rock North) came up firing a hit Julia Miller (Moorestown, N.J./Moorestown) for a cutoff, who fired a strike to the plate to cut down a Golden Bear trying to score for the third out of the inning to keep a three-run lead intact.

West Chester stretched the lead back to four in the seventh when Hopkins hit an RBI double to right center for her third RBI of the night to give the Golden Rams a 9-5 lead.

Maci Strechay (Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley) got the start for West Chester and pitched the first 2.1 innings, allowing three runs (one earned) on five hits, while striking out two. Ciliberto entered in relief in the third and finished the game in the circle, allowing two unearned runs on six hits and two walks, while striking out six to improve to 14-9.

Asked about picking up her 13^th and 14^th wins of the season on Wednesday, Ciliberto said, "As a senior, I'm grateful for every opportunity, especially now in the postseason, because I know I only have so many of these games left, so I'm happy to contribute anyway that I can. Coming in in relief tonight, it felt great to pick up where we had already started in the early innings and carry through to help us keep advancing in the winners' bracket."

Amanda Slabicki (6-10) got the start for Kutztown and allowed five runs (three earned) on three hits as she got just one out before exiting. Haley Gravish entered in relief and allowed four runs (three earned) on 11 hits, while striking out six in the loss.

Up Next

With the victory, West Chester earns its 29^th victory of the season and continues to advance in the winners' bracket, where the Golden Rams will take on East Stroudsburg in game nine of the Tournament at 12:30 tomorrow after the Warriors posted an 18-6 win over East Stroudsburg.