Box Scores
L 6-0
W 5-3

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EAST STROUDSBURG – East Stroudsburg University held off West Chester for a 5-3 win in the nightcap for its second straight split in PSAC East softball on Saturday at Zimbar Field.

The Warriors (12-9, 2-2) also split Friday at Millersville on the opening weekend of the conference schedule, winning game two, 4-0.

West Chester (19-8, 2-2) won the opener on Saturday, 6-0, behind a four-hit shutout by Devon Utterback. The Golden Rams scored one run in the first, then pushed across another in the fifth, two in the sixth and two in the seventh to extend their margin.

In the second game, ESU went ahead 3-0 in the bottom of the first inning and never trailed.

The Warriors had three hits, including RBI singles by sophomore SS Cara Woods and sophomore 1B Cara McNeil, in the first inning.

Junior Laura Suits, who had the save in Friday's win at Millersville, threw her fifth complete game of the season to earn the win in the circle. She held West Chester scoreless for the first 4.0 innings and ESU added another run in the third on an RBI single by junior Amanda McKay for a 4-0 advantage.

West Chester put three runs on the board in the fifth to make it 4-3, but wouldn't get any closer.

ESU added an insurance run in the sixth on a two-out RBI double by junior catcher Rebecca Smith, and Suits pitched around a two-out single in the seventh to finish her 13th career complete game.

Smith's double extended her hitting streak to 10 games. She is hitting .531 (17-for-32) with nine extra-base hits, nine RBI and nine runs in that stretch.

Woods had two hits in the second game and five other players had one hit each. Smith, freshman OF Sierra Wagner and sophomore OF Kasey Meckes all had hits in both ends of the doubleheader.

Kate Skokowski took the loss for West Chester in game two, allowing four runs in 3.0 innings. Utterback came on to allow just an unearned run in 3.0 innings of work in relief.

Freshman Amanda Carlin started and went 6.0 innings for ESU in game one, with freshman Allison Mende getting all three outs in the seventh.

The Warriors will be away for both of their doubleheaders next week after playing their home opener on Saturday. They will travel to Philadelphia University on Wednesday for non-conference action, and Kutztown on Saturday for a PSAC East doubleheader.