STROUDSBURG – With a 7-2 victory in game one, the East Stroudsburg University softball team set a program record with its 14th home victory of the season, as ESU split a doubleheader with West Chester on Monday afternoon at Creekview Park. The Warriors (17-8, 10-7 PSAC EAST) earned the dominant 7-2 win in first game, while the Golden Rams (13-5, 9-5) were able to avoid being swept by shutting down a seventh-inning rally to win the second half of the twin bill by a score of 4-3.

ESU's record-setting 14th home victory comes in its first season playing on its all-turf surface at Vigon International Field. The previous program record was set in 1992, when ESU posted a 13-3 record at home.

Five Warriors posted three or more hits on the day, led by Sofia Cecchin's 4-for-7 day at the plate. She plated two runs and came around to score three times. Ashley Spencer (3-for-5) led ESU with three RBIs, reaching base a total of six times by drawing a walk and getting hit by a pitch twice on the afternoon.

Rachel Arner (3-for-5), Marissa Govan (3-for-6, 2 doubles, RBI) and Reilly Vicendese (3-for-8, double,  RBI) also tallied three hits on the day for ESU. Both of Lexi Wright's hits came on doubles. She also produced an RBI.

Marah Range (9-3) earned the win in game one, pitching the complete game by allowing just four hits and one earned run. She held the Golden Rams to bat just .148. Leigh Ann Jenkins (4-4) was charged with the loss in game two, conceding three earned runs and 10 hits in seven innings of work.

GAME ONE

Range began her successful day in the circle with a 1-2-3 half inning in the top of the first.

The Warriors struck fast, scoring a run in its first at bats of the afternoon. Vicendese doubled with one out and she would advance to third on a passed ball. Cecchin followed with a double to give ESU a 1-0 advantage. Cecchin advanced to third in the inning on a passed ball, but was stranded 60 feet from home plate.

The Golden Rams evened the score in the top of the 2nd, as Jaime Klemas smacked a solo home run to begin the frame. Range would strand runners on first and second to avoid further damage.

The back-and-forth affair continued, as Wright's two-out RBI double to left field would score Govan, as the Warriors retook the lead in the bottom of the 2nd at 2-1.

After Range struck out a pair and forced a line out in her next opportunity in the third, the Warriors added insurance. Spencer would drive home Vicendese on a two-out ground out to extend the ESU lead to 3-1.

WCU crept back within a run in the top of the 4th, as a fielder's choice off the bat of Emily Kim made it a 3-2 contest.

ESU took control in the bottom half of the stanza, with three runs on four hits and took advantage of a WCU error. A sacrifice fly from Rachel Seiverd, a ground out from Vicendese and Cecchin RBI single all accounted for Warrior runs. Morgan Walsh looked to lengthen the Warrior lead even more as a pinch hitter, but would line out to end the frame with the bases loaded.

After allowing a walk to begin the fifth, Range would get the next three batters out to keep the four-run lead. Govan doubled to leadoff of the ESU fifth frame, but she was unable to advance.

In the sixth inning, Range continued her impressive performance by setting the side down in order. The Warriors tacked on an additional tally in the home half, with Spencer singling home Cecchin to make it a 7-2 contest in favor of ESU.

West Chester was able to put a runner on base via an error, but Range would strand the runner on second, as the Warriors posted its record-setting 14th home victory of the season at Creekview Park with the 7-2 triumph.

GAME TWO

This time it was West Chester that scored first, as a two-out RBI single off the bat of Jaime Klemas gifted WCU a 1-0 advantage.

ESU threatened in the bottom of the 2nd, as the Warriors commenced its half of the frame with singles from Arner and Spencer. Both runners would take a bag on a double steal to reach scoring position with no outs. The next batter, Kaitlin Houser was plunked by a pitch, as ESU had the bases juiced with no outs. A fielder's choice and back-to-back strikeouts from WCU's Mary Picozzi would prevent ESU from scoring its first run of the ball game.

West Chester would add to its lead in its next at bats, as Bri Garber sent an RBI double to right center to extend the advantage to 2-0. After ESU went down in order, WCU put up its third run of the ball game in the top of the 4th, as the RBI double from Courtney Stump gave the Golden Rams a 3-0 lead.

The Warriors left the bases loaded after earning three walks in the bottom of the 4th, unable to put a tally on the scoreboard. WCU padded the lead by scoring on a wild pitch after singling to begin the inning.

The Warriors, who entered the game with nine comeback victories in 17 wins this season, started the come-from-behind attempt with a two-out rally in the bottom of the 5th. Cecchin beat out an infield single to the catcher, while Arner followed with a single to center field. Spencer would plate Cecchin on a single to cut the deficit to 4-1.

Jenkins retired all three Golden Rams she faced in the top of the 6th. The Warriors looked to slice into the three-run deficit in the home half of the frame, but Govan was stranded in scoring position after reaching base via a HBP.

WCU belted two hits in the seventh inning with two outs, but Jenkins recorded a strikeout to keep it a 4-1 ball game.

The comeback Warriors quickly got to work in the bottom of the 7th, as Vicendese smacked a single while Cecchin reached base on an error. After a line out, Spencer would load the bases after getting hit by a pitch and Houser followed with another hit-by-pitch, as ESU now trailed by just two runs at 4-2.

A sacrifice fly from Marissa Govan would net another run, as the Warriors had the potential game-tying run at third base and the game-winning run at second base with two outs in the bottom of the 7th. A batted ball could not escape the grasps of the WCU center fielder, as WCU earned the split with a 4-3 win in game two.

ESU will have a quick turnaround, hosting Chestnut Hill in the non-conference finale on Tuesday afternoon at Creekview Park. The first pitch of the doubleheader is set for 2:00 p.m.