Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Softball battled with West Virginia Conference championship contender Shepherd late into both games of a doubleheader, but couldn't find timely hitting as the Rams took 2-0 and 3-1 wins over the Golden Eagles, Saturday afternoon.

Charleston ace Emily Fultz (Germantown, OH) went toe-to-toe with the Rams Tricia Bettura as both hurlers books double-digit strikeouts in the first game of the day.

Neither team was able plate in runs after seven innings of play with both pitchers dominating their opposition at the plate to send the game into an extra frame. Shepherd put two runs on the board in the eighth inning on two singles through the middle, which was enough to seal the game.

Logan Tretick (Round Hill, VA) was the only Golden Eagle to put a mark against Bettura in the extra inning contest. Fultz went 8.0 innings allowing just one earned run with 11 strikeouts.

The second game saw the home team take the early advantage as Aspen Echelmeier (Auburn, CA) drove home Jacqueline Carlin (Whittier, CA) with a slam off the right-center field fence. Carlin reached to start the inning by being hit by a pitch.

Starter Kelsee Blackwell (New Castle, IN) made the narrow lead holdup until an offensive outburst by Shepherd in the sixth inning. After walking the first batter of the sixth Blackwell was relieved by Fultz and after a fielding error and sacrifice bunt the Rams knotted the game on a wild pitch.

In the next inning the Rams put two runs on the scoreboard by taking advantage of a UC fielding error for a 3-1 lead that would stand as the final with the home team going down in order in their final at-bat.

Echelmeier led Charleston at the plate in game two with a 2-for-3 performance with the only RBI.

UC gets little time to recover as they turn around with a 1:00 pm home doubleheader against WVIAC foe Seton Hill on Sunday, April 15.