SALISBURY, N.C. – East Stroudsburg University opened the 2012 season last weekend with five games in the Catawba Invitational, including four against schools that won at least 30 games a year ago.

Senior 3B Rachel Gieringer led ESU with a .500 batting average (8-16) with a double, a home run and four RBI. Sophomore OF Rebecca Smith hit .333 (5-15) with the first three home runs of her career and senior 1B Brittany Zanzalari hit .333 (4-18) with a double and a homer.

Other extra-base hits came from senior C Alex Schubert, freshman OF Kacie Killeen and freshman OF Kasey Meckes. Schubert was 2-for-10 and drew four walks for a .429 on-base percentage.

Brief recaps from the weekend's games are below:

Feb. 24 – UMass-Lowell 14, ESU 2 (5 inn.)  l  Box Score

Smith went 2-for-3 in the leadoff spot with her first career home run, a solo shot in the third inning. Gieringer singled and scored on an RBI groundout in the fourth.

Feb. 25 – Tiffin 7, ESU 1  l  Box Score

Tiffin scored two in the first and five in the seventh to pull away from the Warriors. Zanzalari hit a solo homer for ESU's run in the second. Gieringer was 2-for-4 and senior 2B Brandi Stettler added a single.

Feb. 25 – Wayne State 11, ESU 2 (5 inn.)  l  Box Score

ESU scored both of its runs in the fifth on an RBI double by Killeen and RBI single by Gieringer. Killeen was 2-for-3 and Zanzalari and Stettler also had hits for the Warriors.

Feb. 25 – Davis & Elkins 17, ESU 7 (5 inn.)  l  Box Score

The Warriors scored five in the first to take a 5-1 lead before Davis & Elkins responded with a five-run second and six-run third to take control. The five runs came on three hits, beginning with a leadoff homer by Smith, her second of the weekend. Killeen walked and scored on a double by Schubert and Zanzalari and Meckes followed with walks to continue the threat. Schubert scored on a sacrifice fly by freshman OF Cara Woods and Stettler hit a two RBI single to score Zanzalari and Meckes.

ESU also added runs in the third and fourth on RBI doubles by Meckes and Gieringer. Seven different players had one hit each.

Feb. 26 – No. 18 Lenoir-Rhyne 9, ESU 3  l  Box Score

The Warriors battled nationally-ranked Lenoir-Rhyne, trailing 5-3 through five innings, before the Bears got three in the sixth. Smith homered to lead off the first and Gieringer hit a two-run homer after Smith walked to start the fifth. ESU managed eight hits off Dawon Millwood with Gieringer going 3-for-4, Smith 2-for-3 and Zanzalari 2-for-4. Senior SS Pam Sellers also had a single.