MILLERSVILLE, Pa. – The East Stroudsburg University softball team was bested in a pair of hard-fought games against Millersville on Friday afternoon at Seaber Softball Stadium.
The Warriors (10-6, 5-5 PSAC East) led the Marauders (8-2, 4-2 PSAC East), 3-2, in the bottom of the 7th in game one, but fell 5-3 after a walk-off home run. ESU looked to rally with a Rachel Seiverd two-out home run in the top of the 7th in game two, but the Warriors fell short by a score of 3-1.
Seiverd led the Warriors with two RBIs on the day, supplying the home run along with a double and a single. Reilly Vicendese also tallied three hits, including a double. Molly Nies added an RBI on two hits against the Marauders.
Marah Range (6-2) was charged with the loss in game one, but conceded just two earned runs while striking out nine in 6.2 innings pitched. The senior now has a 2.49 ERA, striking out 48 batters in 39.1 innings pitched.
Mikayla Pourby (1-1) started game two and found success early, but gave up three runs in the fourth inning. Leigh Ann Jenkins took over pitching duties in the fourth, allowing just three hits in the three scoreless innings. She struck out five of the 12 batters she faced.
GAME ONE
ESU pushed a run across in its first at bats of the afternoon, as Nies began the contest with a single up the middle. The native of Marriotsville, Md. would cross home plate later in the inning on a fielding error.
ESU's lead did not last, as Millersville opened the game with a home run to left field. Range instanly settled down and retired the next three batters in order.
After the first two Warriors grounded out to begin the third inning, Vicendese and Sofia Cecchin rallied for a pair of base hits. Katherine Donahue followed with a walk to load the bases, but a ground out would strand the runners.
Range continued to pitch strong, stranding two runners on base in the bottom of the 3rd to keep the game deadlocked at 1-1.
In the top of the 4th, the Warriors grabbed a 2-1 lead after Seiverd doubled home Rachel Arner. The Warriors were not done putting up runs in the frame, as Nies singled home Addison Roche, who was running for Seiverd.
Millersville tacked on a run in the bottom of the 4th on a solo home run. Both squads went down in order in the fifth frame.
With ESU holding a 3-2 advantage in the bottom of the 7th, the hosts were able to put the first batter on base with a single. Range struck out the next two batters for her eighth and ninth punch outs on the day. An error would put an additional runner on base and extend the game. Millersville would walk off with a win after Gabi Turner sent a 3-run home run over the center field fence.
GAME TWO
Both Pourby and MU's Maddie Guinane found success to start the game in the circle. The Warriors put runners on base in each of the first two innings, but could not plate a run.
Pourby faced the minimum through the first two frames and allowed just one runner on base in the third inning on an error.
Millersville led the bottom of the 4th off with a solo home run to right field. After back to back singles, Jenkins took over for Pourby. A single would load the bases with no outs. Jenkins was able to force an infield fly for the first out, but a single to center field would score two Marauders. Jenkins struckout the next batter and forced a line out to escape the inning with limited damage.
The Warriors looked to put a dent into the two-run Marauder lead in the fifth and sixth, but could not advance runners past first base. Jenkins kept the Millersville bats silent in the fifth and sixth frames.
With two outs, Seiverd blasted her fourth-career home run over the center field fence in the top of the seventh, but the next batter would fly out. As a result, ESU fell to Millersville, 3-1 in game two.
ESU and Millersville will meet again tomorrow, this time at Creekview Park. The doubleheader against the Marauders at Vigon International Field is set to begin at 1:00 p.m.
