STROUDSBURG – On a day where the East Stroudsburg University softball team posted 20 singles on 22 total hits, the ESU Warriors took both games of doubleheader against Kutztown on Friday afternoon at Creekview Park.
Winners in eight of their past nine contests, the Warriors (21-9, 11-8 PSAC East) move into sole possession of third place in the PSAC East standings with victories of 7-4 and 7-0 over KU. The Golden Bears (21-9, 16-8 PSAC East) drop to second in the PSAC East standings behind Shepherd with the pair of losses.
ESU used small ball throughout the doubleheader sweep, with just two of its 22 hits going for extra bases. The consistent, timely contact from nearly ever Warrior in the lineup, along with nine stolen bases in 10 opportunities proved too much for the Golden Bears. The Warriors entered the day ranked sixth nationally in total stolen bases and seventh in stolen bases per contest.
Reilly Vicendese (3-8, 2 SBs) led ESU with four RBIs on three singles and two runs scored. Rachel Seiverd (4-6), Ashley Spencer (3-6) and Morgan Walsh (1-1) each plated two runs. Lexi Wright (1-2, 2SBs) and Kaitlin Houser (2-6) also registered RBIs against. Sofia Cecchin posted four hits (4-7) and four stolen bases to round out the top performers.
While the balanced hitting was superb, the combination of Marah Range (W, 11-3) and Leigh Ann Jenkins (W, 5-4) in the circle was just as lethal. In game one, Range struck out eight and conceded four runs in the complete game win. Jenkins tossed her first career shutout as a Warrior in the latter half of the twin bill, allowing just three hits and two walks, while fanning six KU players.
GAME ONE
Kutztown would be the first to strike on the scoreboard, as a solo home run off the bat of pitcher Sarah Harvey with one out in the top of the 2nd lifted the Golden Bears to a 1-0 advantage.
In the home half of the third inning, the Warriors posted three runs on three hits. Pinch runner Gianna Coyle was able to score ESU's first run of the ball game on a single from Molly Nies. ESU would take the lead in the next at bat, as Vicendes sent a single to right center to plate Nies and Wright.
The 3-1 lead would last until the next half inning, as a KU bases-clearing triple off the bat of Kate Ostaszewski would lift KU to a 4-3 advantage.
The back-and-forth affair continued in the bottom of the 4th. The Warriors smacked four consecutive singles to begin the half-inning to take a 5-4 lead, with Seiverd and Wright registering RBIs. ESU wasn't done, as Vicendese found a gap on the left side to score Seiverd, as ESU snagged a 6-4 lead after four frames.
Range gave up just one hit after the fourth inning, as ESU added an insurance run off a sacrifice fly off the bat of Spencer in the bottom of the 6th to extend the Warrior lead to 7-4. Range would retire the side in order in the seventh to claim her PSAC-leading 11th victory of the season.
With KU holding leads at two different moments, the game-one victory for ESU marked the 11th time this season ESU has trailed and come from behind for a win.
GAME TWO
After KU's leadoff batter singled, Jenkins would retire 10 consecutive Golden Bears until allowing her second hit of the ball game with one out in the fourth inning. After giving up a walk to put runners on first and second, Jenkins fired a strike out and forced a ground out to keep the shutout alive.
Cecchin doubled in the first inning, but was unable to score. She would be the next Warrior to record a hit in the home half of the fourth, as a leadoff single and a stolen base would put a runner in scoring position. After back-to-back walks, pinch-hitter Morgan Walsh opened the scoring with a single through the right side of the infield to plate a pair of runs. ESU would add another in the fourth on a Seiverd single to left field, as the Warriors held a 3-0 advantage after four frames.
With Jenkins doing her thing in the circle, ESU added two ruins in the fifth and sixth innings to take a commanding 7-0 lead. A Spencer RBI double and a Houser RBI single provided the runs in the fifth. Vicendes continued her impressive day with an RBI single in the sixth and came around to score on a wild pitch to make it 7-0. The Warriors had the potential game-ending run on third base with two outs in the sixth, but a deep fly out would ensure the contest went to a seventh inning.
KU added its third hit on a bang-bang infield single with two outs, but Jenkins, a native of Folsom, Pa. and transfer from the University of Charleston secured her first collegiate shutout with a pop out to first base.
With the home sweep, ESU is now 18-4 at Creekview Park and has won 8 of its past nine games in the Poconos. Kutztown was national-ranked in the NFCA Coaches Poll last week and received a vote in the latest poll.
ESU looks to take the season series against the Golden Bears tomorrow at North Campus Field. The opening pitch at KU for the doubleheader is slated to start at 1:00 p.m.
