Senior Courtney Stump (Kutztown, Pa. / Kutztown) hit a three-RBI double in the eleventh inning to lead No. 8 West Chester over No. 21 Southern Indiana 12-10 on Saturday. Following the eleven-inning victory, West Chester’s record improved to 1-1 while Southern Indiana’s record fell to 2-2.
Following a lead-off walk from senior Bri Garber (Willow Street, Pa. / Lampeter-Strasburg), Jaime Klemas (South Brunswick, N.J. / South Brunswick) struck first for West Chester, scoring Garber on an RBI double in the top of the first.
West Chester continued to apply pressure in the top of the second as freshman Kiley Watson (Perkasie, Pa. / Pennridge) scored from third as Annamarie Hartman (Phoenix, Ariz. / Xavier College Prep) stole second base. Hartman would then score on a bunt single from Madison Melvin (Tabernacle, N. J. / Seneca). Melvin and Garber would cap off the inning for West Chester when they both scored on a two-RBI single from Klemas, giving West Chester a 5-0 lead.
Southern Indiana retaliated quickly in the bottom of the second as they would score two runs highlighted by an RBI triple.
The Screaming Eagles played small ball in the bottom of the fourth inning to score two runs, cutting the Golden Rams’ lead to 5-4.
Southern Indiana took the lead 6-4 in the fifth off a two-RBI double.
West Chester responded in the top of the sixth, scoring three runs to take an 8-6 lead. With the bases loaded, Melvin hit into a fielder’s choice allowing Katelyn Rittenbaugh (Donaldson, Pa. / Pine Grove) to score the tying run. Emily Maseth (Westminster, Md. / Westminster) followed up with an RBI double to score Garber, gaining the lead for West Chester. Klemas rounded out the inning with a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Melvin from third.
Southern Indiana scored a run in the bottom of the sixth to cut West Chester’s lead to 8-7.
Southern Indiana scored with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game 8-8, forcing extra innings.
After a scoreless eighth and ninth inning, the NCAA Division II tiebreaker rule came into play. Tori McCoach (Langhorne, Pa. / Conwell-Egan) was placed on second base as a base runner to start the inning. Following her advancement to third base on a wild pitch, McCoach scored on a sacrifice fly from Hartman, giving West Chester a 9-8 lead.
Courtney Stump then hit a base-clearing double, giving West Chester a 12-9 lead.
Southern Indiana could not continue the rally, giving West Chester the 12-10 victory.
Excerpts from wcupagoldenrams.com