WEST CHESTER, Pa. – Millersville softball opened their 2024 PSAC East schedule with a doubleheader at rival West Chester. It was an up and down day for the Marauders, who won game one 10-9 on
Gabi Turner's three-run home run in the top of the seventh inning. The Golden Rams avenged that loss with a 12-3 victory in game two.
GAME ONE:
Like they have been doing all season, the Marauders got on the board first.
Gabby D'Ottavio led off the second inning with a double down the left field line. The visitors then took advantage of back to back Golden Rams errors to score D'Ottavio and take a 1-0 lead.
That lead would be short lived, however, as the hosts got an unearned run of their own off of Millersville starter
Alex Schaefer in the bottom of the frame. West Chester took a one-run lead in their next at bat with consecutive base hits, but could have had more. The Golden Rams had runners on second and third with one out, but Schaefer got a crucial strikeout before forcing a groundout to retire the side.
The Marauders took the lead once more in a fifth inning in which they batted around. It began with another Golden Ram miscue that put
Victoria Fuss at first. A few batters later, it looked like the inning was dead, as there were two runners on and two outs. A four-pitch walk to D'Ottavio loaded the bases for
Hailey Watlington. Watlington was the beneficiary of the hosts' fifth error of the game, this time by the third baseman. It scored two runs and gave Millersville a 3-2 advantage. After another walk,
Sam Fried drove home a run with a single up the middle that kept the bases juiced.
Marli Schreiner was next to the plate and added two more runs to their lead with a single off of the glove of the diving shortstop and into left field. In total, 10 batters came to the plate and five of them scored, all with two outs. Six straight batters reached base safely with two outs.
Schaefer shut the hosts down in the fifth, but they struck back in the bottom of the sixth with six runs on seven hits. The final blow was dealt with the bases loaded, a grand slam that put the Golden Rams on top 8-7.
That set the stage for the top of the seventh.
Kendra Bumgardner, who had just received the uncommon distinction of making two outs in the same inning, stepped to the dish with one out. She singled up the middle and was followed by
Aleese Angelo, who did the same. West Chester made a host of changes before the at bat of Turner, who was up next. She fouled off the first pitch and then launched the second one over the left field fence. Her go-ahead three run blast proved to be enough for
Morgan Crutcher, who came on in relief of Schaefer in the sixth and closed out the 10-9 victory.
GAME TWO:
Angelo got the scoring started right away in game two with her eighth home run of the season. It was a two run shot that plated Bumgardner, who walked to lead off the game. West Chester answered back in the bottom of the inning with three runs of their own. Unlike game one, the Marauders couldn't answer back to the opposition's offensive onslaught. The hosts added four more in the second, two in the third, and three in the fourth to make up the final score of 12-3.
Jiana Maniscalco doubled with two runners on in the fourth inning to bring home the third and final Millersville tally.
GAME NOTES
- Due to inclement weather projected for Friday's forecast in Mansfield, that twin bill has been moved to Millersville and will now begin at 1 p.m. The doubleheader that was scheduled to be held in Millersville on April 12 will now be in Mansfield. Essentially, the teams swapped home dates due to the weather.
- The Marauders claimed their fiftieth win in the rivalry with the victory in game one, but remain well below .500 all-time against the Golden Rams. The all-time tally stands at 50-79-1 in their favor.
POSTGAME REACTION FROM HEAD COACH JEN PROBST
- Overall takeaways: "Anytime you get a conference win is a great day, especially on the road. It was awesome to see the team compete for all 7 innings and walk away with a win. Gabi came up huge in the 7th. She had a confident mindset during that last at bat and you could just feel she was going to get the job done."
UP NEXT
- The Marauders return home for the first time in over a month when they take on Mansfield at 1 p.m. on March 22.
