STROUDSBURG – The East Stroudsburg University softball team continued its impressive start to its 2021 season by sweeping Shippensburg in the PSAC East opener at Creekview Park on Friday afternoon.

The Warriors (5-1, 2-0 PSAC East) earned a 5-1 win in the opening game and scored seven unanswered runs in the second game of the twin bill to grab a 7-2 win over the Raiders (2-4, 1-3 PSAC East). ESU has now won five games in a row after falling to St. Thomas Aquinas in the season opener. 

"I'm so proud of the team," said ESU softball head coach Jaime Wolbach after the victorious doubleheader. "The team came out ready to play and played some great softball."

ESU's pitching staff on the day of Marah Range (W, CG, 5 SOs, 1 ER) Mickayla Grow (2+ IP, 1 ER) and Leigh Ann Jenkins (W, 5 IP, 3H, 0 ER, .176 b/avg) combined to allow just three earned runs and recorded 16 strikeouts in 14 innings of work. The staff combined to walk just two batters and let up just four extra-base hits.

The balanced Warrior offense saw eight players collect hits and RBIs, with Ashley Spencer and Molly Nies each driving home a pair of runs. Spencer posted a double and triple on the day, going 3-for-5 from the plate. Nies batted 3-for-8, while Marissa Govan and Reilly Vicendese also posted triples.

Lexi Wright and Sofia Cecchin also added two hits in the doubleheader.

GAME ONE

After Range walked the opening batter, she would not let her advance, retiring the next three batters in order.

ESU struck fast in its first at bats on the day. Spencer singled to drive in Reilly Vicendese and Cecchin singled to center to score pinch-runner Addison Roche to take a 2-0 lead.

The pitchers would settle in and now allow any scoring until the home half of the 4th inning. Lexi Wright would send pinch-runner Nicole Klass home on a single to extend the Warrior lead to 3-0.

The Raiders responded in the top of 5th as SU's Alyssa Nehlen doubled home a Raider run to left center field to cut the deficit to 3-1.

Just as it had in the previous doubleheader against Dominican, ESU instantly punched back in its half of the fifth frame. Vicendise tripled to right center. She would go on to cross the plate on a Kaitlyn Caleen bunt, reaching base on the fielder's choice. In the next at bat, Spencer sent a three-bagger to right field to score Caleen, as ESU widened its least to 5-1.

That rounded out the scoring for both teams. Range stranded a runner that reached on a single in the sixth and retired the side in order to earn her second win on the season.   

GAME TWO

Mickayla Grow started her outing strong with three consecutive ground outs to start her afternoon. ESU could not muster a base runner in its first at bats of game two.

The Raiders were able to plate a pair of runs in the top of 2nd on a two-RBI single.

Jenkins took over mound duties for Grow after one batter in the third inning. Jenkins was able to strand a runner on third who reached on a double.

In the bottom of the 3rd, ESU able to slice the Raider lead in half with an RBI single from Nies.

ESU took control of the contest in the bottom of the 4th with five-run innings on three hits and two Shippensburg errors. Spencer doubled to lead off the stanza and Govan sent a triple to right field for the RBI. After SU changed pitchers, the Warriors were able to tack on runs on a Niess single, a sacrifice bunt from Katherine Donaghue and an errant throw from the Raider catcher on an ESU steal attempt.

Jenkins was stellar the rest of the way, allowing just two hits combined in the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh innings. ESU added an insurance run in the bottom of the 6th after Rachel Seiverd singled home Rachel Arner to take a reassuring 7-2 advantage.  

NOTES: Jenkins now has an 1.31 ERA in 16 innings pitched. She has struck out 12 and walked just a pair, limiting foes to a .233 batting average … Since falling to St. Thomas Aquinas, 10-1, in the opening game, ESU has outscored its opponents by a mark of 24-16 in the five-game winning streak … With a sweep tomorrow, ESU will have posted its longest winning streak since 2007.

ESU and Shippensburg will meet against tomorrow, this time in Shippensburg, in a doubleheader at Robb Field.