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W 4-3 / W 4-1

EAST STROUDSBURG – Senior outfielder Amanda Dice had a two-run single to drive in the game-tying and go-ahead runs in the sixth inning of a 4-3 victory in the first game and senior Jackie Battaglino didn't yield an earned run on the afternoon as East Stroudsburg University took both games of a non-conference doubleheader against Holy Family on Wednesday at Zimbar Field.

The Warriors rallied from a 3-0 deficit through four innings in the opener, then used a three-run third inning as the impetus for a 4-1 victory in the nightcap to improve to 6-12 on the season.

Battaglino threw a pair of complete games, with 11 strikeouts and one walk over 14 innings of work. Holy Family managed eight hits in the first game and six in the second, but left 13 runners on base in the doubleheader.

Junior Brittany Racek, the reigning PSAC East Player of the Week, had a two-out RBI double in the fifth inning for the Warriors' first hit of the opener against Jody Searfoss. Battaglino walked to open the inning and scored on the play to make the score 3-1, then threw a perfect sixth inning before the ESU offense went back to work.

The Warriors got a leadoff base runner when sophomore 3B Rachel Gieringer was hit by a pitch, senior RF Kara Darcey followed with a single and both runners advanced on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore 1B Brittany Zanzalari. Gieringer scored on a throwing error by the catcher and Dice drove in the final two runs of the inning with a one-out single that gave ESU a 4-3 lead.

Holy Family put the tying run on base in the seventh with a bunt single with two outs before Battaglino got a fly ball to center to end the game.

The Tigers scored first again in game two when pitcher Angela DiBeneditto doubled and later scored on a throwing error in the second, but the Warriors put together their three-run frame in the third to take control.

Junior LF Jamie Mingis and junior CF Alicea Ashe traded places with doubles to tie the game at 1-1. Gieringer singled to move Ashe to third and stole second to give the Warriors a pair of runners in scoring position, and Zanzalari came through with a two-out, two RBI single to give ESU a 3-1 advantage.

The Warriors added another run in the fifth when Racek singled, stole second, moved to third on a single by Gieringer and scored on a bunt base hit by Darcey.

Battaglino did the rest, retiring the final nine batters in order to seal the sweep and improve to 4-5 on the season. She hasn't allowed an earned run in her last three starts for a streak of 22 consecutive innings.

Gieringer was 3-for-3 at the plate in the second game to lift her season average to .358. Racek hit safely in both games, giving her at least one hit in 11 of the last 12 games, and is batting .400 with 10 extra-base hits through the first 18 games this season.

ESU's next several games will be on the road, with five games scheduled in a tournament hosted by West Virginia Wesleyan in Salem, Virginia this weekend and a doubleheader at Washington Adventist next Tuesday. The Warriors host Millersville in their first PSAC East doubleheader of the season next Wednesday.