Box Score SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.V.- The West Chester University softball team (30-20, 18-13) returned to action on Saturday for a doubleheader on the final day of the regular season at the home of the PSACs Southern-most member in Shepherd (23-26, 13-18). West Chester dropped the first game of the day in an 11-inning epic before having game two called due to darkness in the fourth. The second game of the twinbill will not be resumed as seeding was determined due to other games already completed on Saturday afternoon.

Despite the game one setback, West Chester will enter the PSAC Tournament as a third seed and will play at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 1, against the second seed from the PSAC West, which will be either Seton Hill or Gannon, depending on the results of games on the schedule for tomorrow.

After a two-hour rain delay, West Chester found itself behind by a pair of runs after the first inning as the Rams used an RBI single and an RBI double to take an early 2-0 lead.

West Chester responded in the fourth as Paige Marabell (Tunkhannock, Pa./Tunkhannock) drove in a run with an RBI groundout, which cut the deficit to just one heading into the fifth.

In the fifth, Madison Melvin (Tabernacle, N.J./Seneca) tripled home a run and later scored on an RBI single by Katelyn Rittenbaugh (Donaldson, Pa./Pine Grove) to give West Chester a 3-2 lead. Melvin's run in the fifth inning also allowed the graduate student to break the PSAC career runs scored record, scoring her 235th career run, passing the record previously held by Steph Denlinger of Kutztown (2006-09).

With just two outs to play with in the seventh, Shepherd tied the game up via an RBI single and forced extra innings to decide a victor.

The two sides battled throughout the next few innings,, but it wasn't until the 11th that Shepherd scored the decisive run. Alex Mantz worked a bases-loaded walk with one out in the frame to lift Shepherd to a 4-3 comeback victory on Saturday afternoon.

Danielle Ciliberto (Ambler, Pa./Wissahickon) got the start and worked the first 6.1 innings, allowing three runs on eight hits while striking out five before exiting for Makenzie Edwards (Atco, N.J./Hammonton). Edwards (10-7) suffered the loss after entering the seventh and pitching four strong innings in relief, allowing one unearned run on two hits and three walks while striking out four in the setback.

Hannah Ruffner (16-5) earned the victory in the circle after pitching 6.1 strong innings, allowing just one unearned run on five hits while walking two and striking out five. Madalayne Ruffner was also sharp on Saturday afternoon, striking out nine while allowing just one runner via a walk in four innings of work.  

Up Next:

West Chester returns to action on Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. at Veterans Park in Quakertown against an opponent yet to be determined.