QUAKERTOWN, Pa.- Grace Aguilar (Frederica, Del./Lake Forest) was 3-for-4 at the plate with four RBI and three runs scored after doubling home the first run of the game and launching a pair of home runs to help guide the West Chester University softball team (31-20) to a convincing 12-1 victory over Seton Hill (35-16) on Wednesday afternoon.

"I'm really excited by how we played," opened head coach Diane Lokey. "I thought it was a complete team win for us; the offense did a great job of coming out and attacking, Danielle did a great job in the circle, and the infield played great defense behind her to start the Tournament with a victory."

"We had a great day all around," started senior shortstop Aguilar. "Danielle pitched a great game in the circle, and everyone contributed at the plate while also playing great defense behind her. This is a great way to start the Tournament; hopefully, we can keep it rolling." When asked about her two home run days, Aguilar said, "We've never seen these pitchers before, so we knew we just had to trust our preparation going in. I thought the coaches did a great job of helping to get us ready for them  this week, and I felt like I was seeing the ball well, so it was a great team win."

West Chester opened the PSAC Tournament with a victory for the 11^th time in its 13 appearances at the Conference Tournament, avenging an uncharacteristic 0-2 appearance in Quakertown a year ago.

Sb: Moving on! West Chester rolls to a 12-1 victory over Seton Hill to kickoff the PSAC Tournament! pic.twitter.com/ITOWNimCx4

— West Chester Golden Rams (@WCUAthletics) May 1, 2024

With this victory, West Chester will return to action early tomorrow, squaring off against the East Stroudsburg/Bloomsburg game-winner at 10 a.m., with either opponent being one West Chester has already seen four times this year. When asked about the familiarity, Lokey said, "We know the teams we are playing tomorrow very well, and they know us too. I don't think it's going to be anything too crazy as a message. We need just to go out, attack what we know, and execute, and we will be there at the end."

West Chester opened the scoring early with a five-run in the first inning. Madison Melvin (Tabernacle, N.J./Seneca) worked a walk to open the game and later stole second before moving to third on a fly to right by Katelyn Rittenbaugh (Donaldson, Pa./Pine Grove). Fellow grad student Grace Aguilar (Frederica, Del./Lake Forest) drove her in moments later with an RBI double into right center before moving to third on an overthrow. Aguilar's advance to third proved to be inconsequential as she scored moments later on a no-doubter home run off the bat of First Team All-League pick Mairead Hopkins (West Chester, Pa./Rustin) as the Golden Rams jumped out to a 3-0 lead.

West Chester stretched its lead even further moments later when Paige Marabell (Tunkhannock, Pa./Tunkhannock) clubbed her sixth home run of the season to give the Golden Rams a 5-0 lead and prompt an early pitching change for Seton Hill.

Logan Hartman got just one out in a first inning that quickly turned disastrous for Seton Hill, allowing five runs on four hits and a walk before exiting for Lauren Dellet, who escaped the inning without allowing any further damage.

After a scoreless second, West Chester threatened for more in the third. Hopkins found her way to third after a single and a two-base error to lead off the inning, but the Golden Rams stranded her there, and the game went to the bottom of the third with WCU leading 5-0.

Danielle Ciliberto (Ambler, Pa./Wissahickon) found her first bit of trouble in the home third as her first batter of the inning reached on a hit-by-pitch. While erased quickly by a fielder's choice, the Griffins continued to have a runner on throughout the inning, eventually scoring the runner on a single to right. Ciliberto limited the damage well, getting a big second out via a strikeout before escaping the inning with a groundball to carry a 5-1 lead into the fourth.

Melvin extended the lead back to five in the top of the fourth with an RBI single, which scored Emma Zoldi (Newtown, Pa./Council Rock North), who had reached via an error earlier in the inning.

Grace Aguilar (Frederica, Del./Lake Forest) extended the lead to 7-1 in the top of the fifth with a solo home run as the third-seeded Golden Rams carried a comfortable six-run lead into the home fifth.

After a scoreless home fifth and top of the sixth, Seton Hill started the sixth with a double, which tucked in on the left field line just under the 200 sign and passed the outstretched glove of Tess Kearney (Hatboro, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham) to give the Griffins late life. Ciliberto got two quick outs via ground balls to short, the second of which erased the leadoff baserunner on a tag by Aguilar before escaping the inning with a groundball to second, sending the game to the seventh with the Golden Rams holding a commanding six-run lead.

In the seventh, Melvin singled down the left field line to open the inning and later scored on Aguilar's second home run of the game, this time to right center, as West Chester stretched its lead to 9-1 with just one out in the top of the seventh. Ciliberto stretched the lead even further with a three-run shot of her own to right center, giving West Chester a 12-1 lead with just three outs to get.

When asked about her three-run home run in the seventh, Ciliberto said, "In the previous at-bats I had against her (Dellett), I felt like I was getting on the ball but not fully adjusting. I felt I did a good job of making that final adjustment there, which paid off."
Dellett, who entered in relief of Hartman, pitched well throughout the remainder of the game, pitched well in relief, into the seventh, allowing just a run in the fourth and fifth before surrendering five in the seventh. Dellett finished the game with a final line of seven runs (six earned) on eight hits while walking one and striking out 10.

Down to its last out, Seton Hill extended the game with a single up the middle off the bat of Kassidy Wittig before ending the game with a groundout to short to start the PSAC Tournament a perfect 1-0.

Ciliberto pitched a complete game in the circle to improve to 18-8, surrendering just one run on seven hits while striking out four without allowing a walk as she quieted a Seton Hill offense, which was ranked as the top offensive unit in the PSAC entering the Tournament.

"I thought it was a great game all around," said Ciliberto when asked about her complete-game victory. "Going in, I wanted to try and shut the door and knew I had to keep the ball low to keep their offense in check. I think I did a good job of that throughout the afternoon, and the defense did a great job behind me," concluded the sophomore.

Up Next:

West Chester will return to action tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. against the East Stroudsburg/Bloomsburg matchup winner, who will follow the Golden Rams on field two this afternoon.