Preseason Poll has West Chester Softball Selected to Win PSAC East

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – After registering a school-record 48 wins in its 2016 campaign, West Chester was selected to win the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division in the first preseason poll Friday afternoon. The Golden Rams (48-9, 14-2 PSAC East) have won the Eastern Division for three consecutive years in addition to four straights trips to the NCAA Tournament. West Chester obtained three first-place votes, separating themselves from Kutztown by a single vote for the top spot in the East. Head coach Diane Lokey enters her 14th season at the helm for the Golden Rams. West Chester returns five All-PSAC East players from a season ago return, including the athlete and pitcher of the year. Sr., OF Sarah Walasavage (Minersville, Pa./Minersville) captured the athlete of the year in 2016 with a team-high .391 batting average. Walasavage led the team with 72 hits and scored 57 runs while hitting 10 doubles, four triples and five home runs. The centerfielder, who entered West Chester has a left-handed slap hitter, posted a .571 slugging percentage and 19 extra-base hits this spring. The senior also stole 30 bases in 31 attempts for the Golden Rams. Meanwhile, sophomore shortstop Alyssa Herion (Avon Grove, Pa./Avon Grove) had a stellar freshman campaign by appearing in all 57 games and posted a .323 batting average. She also provided the Golden Rams with 11 home runs, 28 extra-base hits, and a slugging percentage of .632. In the field, West Chester returns junior Sara Ercolani (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown East) after batting .349 in 54 games while playing six of the eight positions in the field (excluding pitcher). The utility player added 59 hits, 44 runs, 21 walks, and only committed six errors over the course of the season. Cat Hammer (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) is the returning catcher behind the plate for the Golden Rams. The junior finished third on the squad in hitting with a .351 batting average last season. Hammer registered 13 doubles, one triple and 10 home runs. She knocked in 48 runs and threw out 52.6 percent of all base stealers. Rounding out the fielders is junior outfielder Madison Kelly (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall). Kelly batted at the top of the lineup, ranking second on the team in hitting with a .350 batting average. The outfielder managed seven doubles, six triples and three home runs while knocking in 24 runs for the Golden Rams. She also ranked second on the team with 24 steals in 27 attempts on the year. Inside the circle, West Chester returns a pair of pitchers who have earned the PSAC East Pitcher of the Year award in back-to-back seasons. In 2016, Brooke Harner (Chadds Ford, Pa./Kennett) received the honor with a 19-3 record to go along with the conference's lowest earned-run average at 1.33. She struck out 134 batters in 121.1 innings of work while walking just 32 and held opposing batters hit to a .191 average. Amanda Houck (Gap, Pa./Pequea Valley) back in 2015 earned the 2015 PSAC East Pitcher as well as Freshman of the Year. Last season, Houck provided a 17-4 record with an earned-run average at 1.35 over 161 innings. She finished the season with 150 strikeouts and 41 walks. The combination of southpaw Houck and right-hander Harner will be a great one-two punch for the Golden Rams. Receiving a pair of first-place nod, Kutztown was selected to finish second in the Eastern Division. Millersville was slated third with Shippensburg and East Stroudsburg picked fourth and fifth, respectively. West Chester opens up its season against Tiffin University (Ohio) in the NFCA DII Leadoff Classic on Friday, February 10th in Clearwater, Florida at 5 p.m. East (First Place Votes) 1 - West Chester (3) 2 - Kutztown (2) 3 - Millersville 4 - Shippensburg 5 - East Stroudsburg Central (First Place Votes) 1 - Bloomsburg (6) 2 - Lock Haven 3 - IUP 4 - Mansfield 5 - Pitt-Johnstown 6 - Clarion West (First Place Votes) 1 - California (3) 2 - Slippery Rock (1) 3 - Seton Hill (2) 4 - Edinboro 5 - Mercyhurst 6 - Gannon