WASHINGTON, Pa. --
Kasey Scears (Washington, Pa./Chartiers Houston) smashed a three-run home run and
Alisha Kulka (Hanover, Pa./South Western) tossed seven strong innings to lift the W&J softball team to a 3-2 victory in game two over Chatham. The visiting Cougars took the opener by a 5-1 score as the two teams split a Presidents' Athletic Conference doubleheader Tuesday at the Trinity High School softball field.
Game 1 - Chatham 5, W&J 1
After consecutive strikeouts by W&J starter
Jordan Hinz (Ellicott City, Md./Centennial) to open the game, the Cougars took advantage of a two-base error and used a two-out RBI single to take a 1-0 lead. Chatham tacked on single runs in the fifth and sixth before putting the game away with two more runs in the seventh.
Four of the five runs were unearned as W&J committed three costly defensive miscues. Kaitlyn Collins accounted for four of the five Cougar RBIs during her three-hit performance. W&J opened the bottom of the seventh with back-to-back singles by
Mackenzie Boyd (Beaver, Pa. / Beaver) and
Sydney Petrowski (Lemont Furnace, Pa./Connellsville) but came away with just one run on an RBI groundout by
Emily Schmucker (Latrobe, Pa./Greater Latrobe).
Peyton Eckenrode (York Haven, Pa./Northeastern) reached base in each of her three at bats in the opener. Eckenrode singled twice and walked in her other plate appearance.
Hinz suffered the loss in the circle. The sophomore allowed just one earned run. She struck out four and walked none.
Game 2 - W&J 3, Chatham 2
Kulka was stellar and efficient as she made her season debut in the nightcap. She blanked the Cougars through the first six innings as W&J picked up a 3-2 victory to gain the split.
Both teams put a runner into scoring position in the opening inning but came away empty handed. The game settled into a pitcher's duel as each side remained scoreless through four innings.
W&J broke through in a big way in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Savannah Keough (Alexandria, Va. / T.C. Williams) sparked the offense for the Presidents with a one-out bunt single.
Aliya Schraeder (McDonald, Pa. / South Fayette) and Keough were safe on the ensuing play as a Cougar committed a throwing error on a force attempt at second base. That set the stage for Scears, who connected on a 2-2 pitch and hooked a three-run home run down the left field line.
Kulka was able to make the Scears blast stand up. After being held scoreless for six innings, Chatham pushed across a pair of runs on three hits in the seventh. Justyne Boyle connected on a RBI double and Madison Fisher hit a sacrifice fly to bring Chatham within a run. An out on the bases helped W&J end Chatham's threat to tie the game.
Kulka scattered six hits and allowed two runs in 7.0 innings of work. She struck out one and walked two during an 82-pitch effort.
Scears accounted for W&J's lone multi-hit performance in game two.
W&J is expected to hit the road later in the week for PAC doubleheaders at Saint Vincent on Thursday before traveling to Bethany on Friday.
