Box Scores
Shepherd - L 7-3
Alderson-Broaddus - W 9-3

SALEM, Va. – Freshman Amanda McKay had a strong start in the circle and the offense pounded out 14 hits as East Stroudsburg University topped Alderson-Broaddus, 9-3, in splitting the first two of a total of five games at this weekend's softball crossover against the WVIAC in Virginia.

Shepherd had most of the offense in the opener, using a 16-hit attack to post a 7-3 victory over the Warriors. ESU responded with its second win of the season over Alderson-Broaddus as McKay did the job in the circle in the absence of senior Caitlin Monahan.

McKay (5.0 IP, 5 hits, 1 unearned run) earned the win and freshman Laura Suits (2.0 IP, 3 hits, 2 runs, 2 strikeouts) got the last six outs after McKay left with a 6-1 lead to keep the Warriors above .500 at 9-7 on the season.

Eight of the nine starters had at least one hit and four Warriors produced multi-hit games in the victory, led by sophomore SS Rebecca Smith (3-for-3, walk, 2 runs) and senior OF Jamie Mingis (3-for-3, double, walk, RBI, 2 runs), who combined to reach base in all eight of their plate appearances.

Senior Brittany Racek was 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI and junior 1B Brittany Zanzalari went 2-for-3 with a double, a walk and scored three runs for the ESU offense.

The Warriors broke a scoreless tie in the third inning on an RBI single by junior 3B Rachel Gieringer, then plated two in the fourth on an RBI double by Mingis and an RBI single from Racek to take a 3-0 lead.

The Battlers came back with a run in the bottom of the fifth, but ESU pulled away with three runs in both the sixth and seventh innings to put the game away. Senior OF Julia Collins belted a two RBI double to cap the three-run sixth as the Warriors had four hits, drew three walks and sent nine batters to the plate.

It was more of the same in the seventh after Alderson-Broaddus scored two runs to get within 6-3. Zanzalari and Smith started the inning with singles, junior C Alex Schubert drove in both runners with a two-run single and later came across on an error following a base hit by Mingis.

McKay scattered her five hits over 5.0 innings and didn't allow a runner past second base until Alderson-Broaddus scored its first run in the fifth. Suits was responsible for both runs in the sixth but retired the side in order in the seventh while pitching with a 9-3 lead.

In the opener against Shepherd, ESU scored runs in the first and second innings but couldn't match a strong Shepherd offense that was led by Amber Dudek, who hit a two-run homer in the top of the first that put the Rams ahead to stay.

Brooke Stambaugh threw a complete game for Shepherd, allowing three runs (one earned) on six hits. Suits started for ESU, going 5.0 innings and allowing five runs (four earned) on 10 hits, and McKay surrendered two runs on six hits over the final 2.0 frames.

Six players had a hit each for ESU. Senior OF Alicea Ashe drove in Collins with a single in the first and Zanzalari plated Smith in the second after she hit a leadoff single and stole second base. Racek singled, stole second and eventually scored on a passed ball in the fifth to make the score 5-3, but Shepherd scored twice in the top of the sixth to stay in front.

Smith and Mingis were both 4-for-6 on the day to combine for eight of ESU's 20 hits. Racek and Zanzalari added three hits each and Mingis, Zanzalari and Collins had doubles for the team's three extra-base hits.

ESU will play three times on Saturday, opening against West Virginia State at 9 a.m. before taking on Lake Erie at 1 p.m. and West Liberty at 3 p.m.