SALEM, Va. – A year after dropping its NCAA Division II Championship opener and having to fight for its tournament life, Armstrong Atlantic refused to allow that to happen in 2014, topping West Chester during first day action at the 2014 NCAA Division II Championship in Salem, Va., 5-1.
For Armstrong Atlantic, 2014 NFCA All-American shortstop Alexis Mercer was 2-for-4 with a HR and two RBIs, fellow All-American designated player Lacye Walker went 2-for-4, first baseman Hannah Reppert knocked in a pair via a double and catcher Haley Ellis blasted a solo HR. West Chester managed just three hits against AASU hurler Ollivia McLemore with the lone run coming by way of a third inning blast off the bat of catcher Erin Quense.
McLemore improved to 25-6 on the year from the circle, allowing one run on just three hits with a single strikeout, while West Chester’s Kim Hurl dropped to 23-11 after permitting three earned tallies on 10 hits over six frames.
“Last year we were here, and we were really tight,” Armstrong head coach Ted Evans said. “We might even have been a little tight today, but as you could see, once we got going, we broke through and everyone seemed to relax and play the game.
“Last year we played well after the first game until we played the same team again. Just getting off to a good start gets you on track and makes you feel good about yourself. We feel like we’ve got a chance to do something this year.”
Armstrong managed the first two base hits in the contest as NFCA All-American designated player Lacye Walker singled up the middle in the first and second baseman Kat Vogler beat out a swinging bunt up the third base line in the second. West Chester’s Hurl wouldn’t allow the Pirates to string any threat together, however, as the match-up remained scoreless through two.
Quense put an end to scoreless duel by christening the WCU half of the third with a HR to left off McLemore as the Golden Rams nabbed a 1-0 advantage.
Armstrong’s offense attempted to answer immediately via a two-out rally in the bottom of the third as consecutive singles by Armstrong right fielder Peyton Roth and Walker and an error at third on a sharp ground ball off the bat of center fielder Andrea Dalton loaded the bags full of Pirates. Patience at the plate by Reppert paid dividends as a walk forced in the tying run to make it 1-1. Hurl saved more damage by handling a sharp grounder back to the circle from Vogler and firing to first to end the threat.
The long ball granted AASU its first lead of the contest as Ellis opened the bottom of the fourth with a HR to left center, granting the Pirates a 2-1 advantage. Just a few minutes later Mercer blasted a drive of her own to left as the lead expanded to a pair of runs.
Back-to-back singles to begin the top of the fifth by third baseman Laura Altenburger and first baseman Jillian Murray got West Chester in business. Unfortunately for the Golden Rams, Quense hit into an unassisted double play to first, effectively killing off any rally.
The Armstrong advantage expanded to 4-1 during the bottom half of the fifth as Dalton ripped a base knock that was cashed in by Reppert via an RBI double to right center.
After West Chester left a runner stranded in scoring position in the top of the sixth, Armstrong added an insurance run in the bottom half to make it 5-1 via a double from third baseman Kacie Patterson, an error and a Mercer RBI single.
WCU managed to get the leadoff hitter on base in the top of the seventh, but watched as Armstrong’s Mercer turned another Pirate double play to end the game.
