Box Scores
Game 1 - Wayne State 14, ESU 6
Game 2 - Fairmont State 5, ESU 1
Game 3 - Armstrong Atlantic 16, ESU 12
Game 4 - ESU 4, Davis & Elkins 0
Game 5 - Catawba 13, ESU 4

CATAWBA, N.C. – Junior outfielder Alicea Ashe hit three home runs, including two in a slugfest against Armstrong Atlantic, and drove in eight runs to lead East Stroudsburg University at the Catawba Invitational to open the 2010 softball season last weekend.

Ashe, who entered the season with two career home runs, both last year, was 5-for-16 (.313) at the plate in the Warriors' five games. She hit her first two home runs against Armstrong Atlantic, a 16-12 loss, and provided a three-run homer in a 13-4 loss to host Catawba to finish the trip.

Four Warriors regulars hit better than .300 for the weekend. Sophomore Brittany Zanzalari was 4-for-12 (.333) with two doubles, sophomore Rachel Gieringer hit .313 with a pair of doubles and senior Kara Darcey was 4-for-13 (.308) and cracked three doubles. Gieringer was last year's PSAC East Freshman of the Year.

Senior Amanda Dice and junior Samantha Capriotti also homered, with Dice going 1-for-2 on the weekend and Capriotti going 2-for-6 at the plate.

In the circle, junior Caitlin Monahan made three starts and threw two complete games, including a 4-0 shutout of Davis & Elkins. Senior Jackie Battaglino started the other two games and led ESU with a 2.97 ERA last season.

Monahan, a transfer from Vermont, allowed four hits, struck out seven and walked one in her first career shutout at ESU. The Warriors scored a pair of runs in the fourth and fifth innings, as Zanzalari had an RBI double and scored on a single by sophomore Pam Sellers for the first two runs and Darcey was hit by a pitch for an RBI and Zanzalari lifted a sacrifice fly in the fifth after loading the bases with nobody out.

The Warriors went 1-4 on their trip, falling to Wayne State (14-6) and Fairmont State (5-1) on Friday and Armstrong Atlantic on Saturday morning before the shutout of Davis & Elkins. Catawba knocked ESU out of the elimination portion of the tournament on Saturday night.

ESU is back in action this weekend with five games at the Mid-South Classic in Spartanburg, S.C. and will open against Carson-Newman on Friday.