Box Scores
Game 1 - L 4-2
Game 2 - L 6-5

MILLERSVILLE – Alicia Hughes threw a two-hitter in the opener and Millersville rallied from a 5-0 deficit in the second game to take both ends of a PSAC East softball doubleheader from East Stroudsburg University, 4-2 and 6-5, on Friday afternoon.

Senior 3B/DP Rachel Gieringer hit a three-run homer in the first inning of the second game, her fifth of the season and the 17th of her career to move within one of the school record set by Jen Veronesi from 2004-07.

The Warriors (12-25, 5-7) fall into a tie for second in the PSAC East with Millersville (16-26, 5-7) after the two schools split their first meeting on March 25. Both schools still have to play Kutztown (36-1, 10-0), ranked No. 5 nationally, the second time through their schedule. Shippensburg (14-20, 4-6) travels to West Chester (23-22, 4-8) on Saturday.

Millersville had three home runs among its 21 hits, including one in each game from shortstop Taylor Odell-Smith. She belted a three-run shot in the second inning of the opener, and Hughes backed up her pitching with a two-out homer in the sixth to add an insurance run for the Marauders.

ESU made it 3-2 in the fourth inning as sophomore OF Rebecca Smith singled and freshman SS Cara Woods reached on an error to start the frame. Smith scored on a sacrifice fly by senior C Alex Schubert and Woods came home on an RBI single by senior 1B Brittany Zanzalari.

ESU freshman Taylor Webb (6-6) threw her fifth complete game of the season (6.0 IP, 7 hits, 4 runs, 5 strikeouts, 1 walk) and stranded five Millersville base runners, including two each in the first and fourth innings.

Hughes gave up just the two hits in the fourth, with one earned run, and struck out four to improve to 6-11 on the year.

In the second game, Smith and Woods walked and Gieringer homered for a quick 3-0 lead off Sarah Bertoni. The Warriors scored another run in the second when senior 2B Brandi Stettelr singled, moved up on a sacrifice bunt by freshman OF Kasey Meckes and scored on a base hit by freshman OF Kacie Killeen.

Killeen had another RBI single in the fourth to make it 5-0 after freshman 3B Cara McNeil hit a leadoff double.

But Millersville rallied with five runs on six hits in the bottom of the frame, scoring the tying run on a wild pitch after an RBI single by Stephanie Kulp, a two-RBI single by Allison Chew and an RBI single by leadoff hitter Ally Homa.

The Warriors got out of the fifth with a double play on a fly ball, but Odell-Smith homered to lead off the sixth to give the Marauders a 6-5 lead.

That provided the cushion that Bertoni needed to finish the complete game, as she gave up just two more runs after ESU got three in the first. The Warriors had seven hits off Bertoni, with two each from Stettler and Killeen.

Freshman Marianne Wright got the start in the second game and was relieved by sophomore Amanda McKay and freshman Shaylyn Wood, who came in after Odell-Smith's homer to get all three outs in the sixth inning.

Millersville had 14 hits in the second game, including three of the bat of Jamie Motsko. Homa, Bertoni and Chew had two hits apiece.

ESU has two doubleheaders remaining on its 2012 schedule, hosting West Chester next Friday for Senior Day at 2:30 p.m. and heading to Kutztown on Saturday. The Warriors will be looking for a top-three finish in the five-team division to gain a PSAC Tournament berth.