SALEM, Va. – West Chester starting pitcher Kim Murl equaled her school’s single season win mark with her 24th triumph, scattering 10 hits and allowing just one earned run as the Golden Rams earned their program’s first-ever Division II Softball Championship victory via a 6-2 triumph over LIU Post on Saturday afternoon at the Moyer Sports Complex in Salem, Va.

WCU catcher Erin Quense led the offense by going 1-for-2 with a pair of RBIs, while Murl helped her own cause in the circle with a 2-for-3 effort at the dish, a double and a run scored.

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For LIU Post, Liz Weber fell to 25-5 on the season after permitting two earned tallies on a pair of hits with three walks over just two frames. Left fielder Catherine Havens (2-for-3), NFCA All-American catcher Aly Dzierzynski (2-for-4) and first baseman Kayla McCoy (2-for-4) each posted two hits to lead the Pioneers’ 10-hit output.

“A 6-2 win, our first win at the College World Series, so we’re super stoked about that,” West Chester head coach Diane Lokey said. “It’s another first for this team. We got 70 % QUABS (quality at-bats), so that was good. We got some good pitching from (Kim) Murl and played some pretty good defense and got out of some good jams.”

Following a relatively quiet first inning, LIU Post got a major scoring opportunity started in the top of the second against Murl. A fielding error at short on a bouncer off the bat of Dzierzynski got everything started. Designated player Paige Swantek and first baseman Kayla McCoy managed consecutive singles, packing the bags full of Pioneers. That’s when Murl stepped up to assist her own cause, handling a chopper to begin a crucial 1-2-3 double play as well as a bouncer back to the circle from right fielder Samantha Miller to escape the huge jam.

As so often seems to happen, Murl immediately followed up her impressive defensive effort by starting off the bottom of the second with a double to the wall in right center. A sacrifice bunt advanced pinch runner Janessa Rios up 60 feet to third where she was soon joined on a walk by first baseman Jillian Murray. That set the stage for a sacrifice fly to left center from Quense as West Chester jumped in front 1-0. Right fielder Kim Begley followed with a shot to second that eluded the second baseman for an error allowing another run to cross and make it a two-run lead.

Looking to answer back in the top of the third, leadoff hitter Catherine Havens laced a single to center. Unfortunately for the Pioneers, the runner moved no farther than second as a pair of groundouts and a strikeout derailed any possible threat.

West Chester designated player Kelly Anderson christened the bottom of the third with a single to left, eventually giving way on the base paths for pinch runner Sarah Walasavage. After a walk was issued to second baseman Jessica Schuck, the decision was made to summon in Ashley Martin in relief for LIU Post. Murl greeted the new pitcher rudely with a single to left. The throw to the plate trying to prevent the runner at third from advancing was wide and went to the backstop as Walasavage crossed to make it 3-0. West Chester blew things open soon after as a throwing error on a fielder’s choice, a Quense single up the middle and an RBI groundout rom Begley expanded the advantage to six tallies.

Dzierzynski tried to give LIU Post some life with a leadoff bloop single to shallow left opening the top of the fourth. Despite an illegal pitch that moved the runner to second with no one down, Murl responded to the challenge with consecutive strikeouts of Swantek and McCoy. Third baseman Maria Palmeri hit a ball to short that took a wicked hop, allowing her to reach via error and extend the inning. The left stranded count for the Pioneers soon grew to six, however, as Miller chopped out harmlessly to second to end the frame.

With one retired in the top of the fifth, Pioneer second baseman Angela Carmine was hit by a pitch to start another threat for LIU Post. Center fielder Alexis Gonzalez delivered a clean single to center, putting two on base for clean-up hitting shortstop Nicole Hagenah. She lifted a fly ball to shallow left center that threatened to drop in, but West Chester’s Walasavage raced in from her defensive position in center to make a terrific sliding catch for out number two. Dzierzynski finally got the Pioneers on the board, however, with a single just over the glove of leaping shortstop Norris and into left center, cutting the deficit to 6-1.

After West Chester wasted a pair of leadoff singles in the bottom of the fifth, the Pioneers continued to cut into the WCU lead during the top of the sixth. A pair of singles and a walk packed the bags with no one out, allowing Carmine the chance to pick up an RBI by hitting into a fielder’s choice as LIU post climbed within four runs.

The Golden Rams nearly added to their advantage in the bottom of the sixth on a base knock to right by Altenburger. A strong throw by Miller, however, cut down a runner at the plate to keep the game at 6-2 in favor of WCU.

With the 5-6-7 hitters up for LIU Post’s final chance to extend their season in the top of the seventh, Dzierzynski flew out to right and Swantek bounced out to first for two quick outs. McCoy ripped a two-bagger into the left center gap, but Palmeri popped up harmlessly to short as West Chester completed its victory.