Box Scores
Philadelphia U - W 6-5 (9 inn.)
St. Thomas Aquinas - W 5-0

CLERMONT, Fla. – Freshmen Marianne Wright and Taylor Webb both had outstanding days in the circle as East Stroudsburg University won two softball games on Thursday morning in Florida, outlasting Philadelphia University for a 6-5 (9 inn.) win before Webb threw a one-hitter in a 5-0 victory over St. Thomas Aquinas.

Wright didn't allow an earned run against Philadelphia U and the Warriors rallied with three runs in the bottom of the seventh to force extras, where they won it on a squeeze bunt by freshman Cara Woods.

Webb struck out 12 and didn't issue a walk against St. Thomas Aquinas, retiring the final 18 batters she faced after the Spartans managed base runners on an error and a hit in the first inning.

STA cleanup hitter Heather Clausen had a two-out single after the No. 2 hitter reached on an error earlier in the inning, but Woods cut down the runner at the plate for the third out of the inning and Webb didn't allow another hit the rest of the way.

Freshman Cara McNeil was 3-for-4 with a run and senior Brandi Stettler was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run to lead the offense.

The Warriors scored their first run in the third, when Woods hit a leadoff double, McNeil had a one-out single and senior Brittany Zanzalari brought home Woods with a sacrifice fly.

ESU added to its lead with two runs in the top of the sixth and seventh innings. In the sixth, senior Alex Schubert and Stettler both singled and scored on a two-out, two-RBI double by sophomore Rebecca Smith.

Senior Rachel Gieringer led off the seventh with a double, McNeil followed with her third hit of the game and Zanzalari doubled to score Gieringer. McNeil later came home on an RBI groundout by freshman Jamie Smith.

In the opening game of the day against Philadelphia U, Wright struck out seven, walked one and allowed six hits as all five of the Rams' runs were unearned.

ESU took a 2-0 lead in the first inning, striking with two outs as Gieringer singled, Schubert walked and Zanzalari hit a two-out, two-RBI double for the game's first runs.

Philadelphia U built its lead with unearned runs in the third, fifth, sixth and seventh innings to go ahead 5-2 before ESU came back.

Stettler and freshman Kacie Killeen started the inning with back-to-back singles and pinch-runner Kasey Meckes and Killeen moved up on a passed ball to give the Warriors runners on second and third. Rebecca Smith followed with a two-RBI single, advanced all the way to third on the play, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Woods to tie it at 5-5.

The Warriors got the winning run in the bottom of the ninth, with Stettler starting on second in the international tiebreaker. Killeen singled and stole second, and Woods laid down the game-winning squeeze bunt with one out to score Stettler and give ESU the victory.

ESU had 10 hits led by Rebecca Smith (2-for-5, 2 RBI, run), Gieringer (2-for-4) and Killeen (2-for-4, run). Zanzalari was 1-for-2 with her 2-RBI double and had four RBI on the day.

The Warriors (4-11) improve to 4-4 on their trip and play Merrimack and Minot State (N.D.) to finish their 10-game visit to Florida on Friday.