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L 12-5 / L 6-0

EAST STROUDSBURG – Erin MacNamee went 6-for-8 and scored six runs at the top of the order to lead West Chester to a pair of wins over East Stroudsburg University in PSAC East softball action, 12-5 and 6-0, on Sunday afternoon at Zimbar Field.

MacNamee was 4-for-5 with a homer and a triple in the first game and the Golden Rams' first three batters – MacNamee, Evelyn Anderson and Sam Ingersoll – were 14-for-21 and scored 12 runs in the doubleheader as West Chester (20-6, 5-1) moved into first place in the PSAC East.

In game two, the Warriors (13-16, 3-3) managed 10 hits off Missy Schwartz but left 13 runners on base, including three in the first, fifth and seventh innings.

Junior CF Alicea Ashe was 3-for-4 in the nightcap and hit her eighth home run of the season in the first game to move into second in school history, one away from the Warriors' single-season record of nine homers set by All-Region shortstop Jen Veronesi in 2006.

Sophomore 3B Rachel Gieringer had a hit in both games to extend her hitting streak to 10 games and is hitting .452 (14-for-31) in that stretch to raise her season average to .384. The streak is the longest for the Warriors since Eliza Morosco also hit safely in 10 straight games in 2007, while Ashley Miller had a 14-game hitting streak in 2006.

West Chester took advantage of ESU errors to score two runs in the first and three in the second in the opener. Ingersoll had an RBI single in each frame and Anderson hit a two-run single in the second.

ESU got on the board in the third on a base hit by Gieringer which scored junior LF Jamie Mingis before West Chester struck for five runs to go ahead 10-1 in the top of the fourth. MacNamee and Megan Harbaugh both hit two-run homers and the Golden Rams plated two more unearned runs.

The Warriors pulled within 10-5 in the bottom of the inning. Ashe homered to lead off the frame and singles by senior C Kara Darcey, sophomore 1B Brittany Zanzalari and senior P Jackie Battaglino loaded the bases. Darcey scored on a sacrifice fly by junior P Caitlin Monahan and Zanzalari and Battaglino scored on a throwing error by pitcher Brooke Muth.

WCU extended its lead with single runs in the fifth and seventh innings as Anderson singled to score Stef Kerbacher and plated MacNamee with a sacrifice fly after her triple in the seventh.

Muth went the distance in the circle for West Chester, allowing five runs (three earned) on eight hits and striking out six. Battaglino started and threw the first 3.0 innings for ESU, giving up seven runs (five earned) and pitched to the first two batters in the fourth, and Monahan threw the final 4.0 innings (five runs, three earned) in relief.

In the second game, the Warriors had a base runner in every inning but couldn't capitalize on 10 hits and three walks off Schwartz. Ashe was 3-for-4 and freshman RF Tegan Wendell went 2-for-4 to lead ESU's offense.

West Chester took a 3-0 lead in the third on an RBI single by Ingersoll that scored MacNamee, a base hit by Harbaugh to bring in Anderson and a sacrifice fly from Kate Kmiecinski. The Golden Rams added another run in the fifth and scored twice in the seventh on back-to-back doubles from Ingersoll and Harbaugh.

MacNamee was 6-for-8 with two RBI and six runs in the doubleheader, Anderson went 4-for-8 with four RBI and three runs and Ingersoll was 4-for-5 with four walks, drove in four runs and scored three times.

Schwartz improved to 5-0 with her first shutout of the season for the Golden Rams. Monahan threw the first 4.0 innings and faced two batters in the fifth inning for ESU and was relieved by Battaglino, who recorded two scoreless innings before WCU scored again in the seventh.

ESU hosts Shippensburg in a PSAC East doubleheader on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. at Zimbar Field.