CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The University of Charleston softball team secured itself at the top of the West Virginia Conference standings with a two-game sweep of Alderson-Broaddus by scores of 2-1 and 9-2, Sunday afternoon.
The first contest was a solid pitcher’s duel between nationally ranked UC hurler Stefanie Rossman (Concord, Ohio/Riverside) and AB ace Mereaha Cooper.
The Golden Eagle offense struck first as Logan Tretick (Round Hill, Va./Loudoun Valley) accounted for her team’s only runs with a two-RBI single in the bottom of the second inning. The 2-0 lead would hold steady until Rossman would surrender a solo homerun to her pitching counterpart as Cooper made the score 2-1 in the fourth. Rossman would recover from the blast to settle in allowing just one-hit over the final three innings to secure the victory.
Both teams would open the second contest with single runs in the first inning, which would be all the offensive action until the fourth inning. The Battlers strung together three hits in the top of the fourth to plate a run and take their first lead of the afternoon at 2-1.
Charleston also found its offensive groove in the fourth as the team took advantage of an AB error, while pounding out six hits and six runs capped by a Jana Salisbury (Barrington, NH/Northwood Academy) two-RBI double for a 7-2 advantage. UC followed the big fourth with two additional runs in the fifth as Tretick and freshman Shawnna Burgett (Climax. Mich./Climax-Scotts) each drove in an RBI for increase the Golden Eagle lead to 9-2.
Burgett would take over on the mound for Rossman in the fifth inning and retire the Battlers in order in the sixth and seventh inning securing the team’s seventh-straight victory and third WVIAC sweep this week.
Junior Samatha Macias (Safford, Ariz./Safford) led UC at the plate with a 3-for-4 performance in the second contest, while following closely was Erica Bracey (Elyria, Ohio/Elyria) and Kathy Jo Getz (Revloc, Pa./Central Cambria) with two hits apiece.
Charleston returns to the field on Wednesday, April 14 for a 3:00 pm doubleheader against non-conference opponent UVA-Wise.
