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W 16-8 (5 inn.) / L 8-0 (5 inn.)

EAST STROUDSBURG – Six seniors in the starting lineup combined to go 12-for-22 with nine RBI and 12 runs as East Stroudsburg University defeated Millersville, 16-8 (5 inn.), in the first game of Monday's Senior Day doubleheader at Zimbar Field.

All six seniors had at least one hit, led by three-hit performances from DP Brittany Racek and OF Alicea Ashe, as the Warriors took the lead and broke the game open with a 10-run fourth inning.

Alicea Hughes threw a one-hit shutout in Millersville's 8-0 (5 inn.) victory in the nightcap in the final game for both teams in the 2011 season. ESU ends the year 13-22 overall and 4-12 in the PSAC East, Millersville is 14-22 with an identical record in conference action.

Racek was 3-for-4 with two doubles, a triple, two RBI and four runs scored in the leadoff spot in the opener to finish one of the top careers in school history, ranking in the top 10 in 13 offensive categories including second in doubles, home runs and extra-base hits.

Senior C Samantha Capriotti was 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs in the No. 2 spot, junior 3B Rachel Gieringer went 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs, Ashe was 3-for-4 with two runs as the cleanup hitter and junior 2B Brandi Stettler went 1-for-2 with four RBI and two runs as the top five hitters were 11-for-17 in the contest.

Three more seniors, 1B Angela Huggins (1-4, two RBI, run), OF Julia Collins (2-3, RBI, two runs) and OF Jamie Mingis (1-4, RBI, run), also did damage as ESU put together a 16-hit attack, its second-most of the season, and scored a season-high 16 runs.

The Warriors jumped out to an early 4-1 lead before rallying from a 6-4 deficit in the fourth. Racek drew a leadoff walk and scored on a single by Gieringer, Ashe and Stettler hit back-to-back doubles and Huggins added an RBI single to help ESU plate four runs in the opening frame.

Millersville came back with four runs in the second and added another in the fourth before the Warriors' bats awoke in the bottom of the frame.

Racek, Capriotti and Ashe all had two hits as part of the 15-batter, eight-hit, 10-run fourth inning, which began with a leadoff triple by Racek and RBI single by Capriotti. Ashe, Collins and Mingis all collected singles before the lineup turned over, and Racek and Capriotti both drilled two RBI doubles to extend the inning. Ashe followed with an RBI single and Stettler had a sacrifice fly to score the final run of the inning.

Freshman Laura Suits picked up the win in the circle, throwing the final 2.0 innings in relief of senior Caitlin Monahan, who gave up just two earned runs in 3.0 innings.

In the second game, an infield single by Ashe to start the second inning stood up as the Warriors' only hit as Hughes tossed the shutout. The Marauders scored all eight runs in the first three innings, including a two-run homer by Davina Kachnovitz in the second, and scored four runs (one earned) in the third.

Suits also threw the final 2.0 innings in game two, giving up three hits and striking out three, to finish third in school history in strikeouts by a freshman with 69. She appeared in a team-high 23 games and pitched 96.1 innings during her first season at ESU.

The Warriors' seniors contributed to three of the their four consecutive trips to the PSAC Playoffs, a streak that ended this season, but still finished with several lofty rankings in the school record book despite playing just 35 games this season due to inclement weather.

Racek hit .386 this season and .350 for her career, ranking seventh and sixth in school history, respectively. She had 39 total hits, 15 for extra-bases, and a .624 slugging percentage and a .457 on-base percentage while striking out just seven times in 101 at bats.

She ranks second at ESU in doubles (37), home runs (14) and extra-base hits (57), third in total bases (256) and slugging percentage (.544), tied for third in hits (165) with ESU Hall of Famer Karen Bauer, fourth in runs (94), sixth in on-base percentage (.405), tied for eighth in stolen bases (25) and 10th in RBI (62).

Ashe shares the No. 2 spot with Racek with 14 career home runs and set the single season record with 10 homers last season. She is also tied for ninth in career slugging percentage (.458) and in the top 20 in RBI and total bases. She hit a career-best .377 this season, including 4-for-6 on the final day of the regular season, going 43-for-114 with six doubles and two home runs.

Mingis is tied for fifth with seven triples and is in the top 20 in walks, runs and total bases while playing in 159 games, 10th-most by a Warrior. She set career-highs as a senior with a .323 batting average, 10 extra-base hits and 14 RBI and had a .413 batting average through the month of March.

Capriotti and Collins, both three-year letterwinners, also had career-highs in batting average as seniors. Capriotti hit .273 (12-44) with a .429 on-base percentage and Collins hit .247 (21-85) with 11 RBI.

Monahan had an 8-9 record with a 3.62 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 100.2 innings this season. She threw in 19 games, made 17 starts and had nine complete games. She ranks 10th with 155 career strikeouts, coming in 250.1 innings over the last two seasons.

The Warriors' offense, powered by Racek, Ashe and Gieringer (.344, five home runs, 20 RBI), had the program's best all-time slugging percentage at .438 and posted a .295 batting average while scoring 149 runs (4.25 per game).