STROUDSBURG – In midweek non-conference action, the East Stroudsburg University softball team's offense led the Warriors to a pair of wins over Felician on Wednesday afternoon at Creekview Park.
The Warriors (16-8, 9-7 PSAC East) came from behind to win for the ninth time this season in game one, posting an 8-5 victory over the Golden Falcons (5-13, 5-5 CACC). ESU's offense remained hot in the second contest, recording an 11-2 win after five innings to complete the sweep.
An impressive 11 Warriors registered hits on the day. Ashley Spencer totaled three hits, including a double and a triple. Gianna Coyle, Rachel Arner, Marissa Govan, Katherine Donaghue, Reilly Vicendese and Lexi Wright all connected on two hits each for ESU.
In the RBI department, Morgan Walsh opened the scoring in game two with a grand slam to lead the Warriors with four RBIs on the day. Kate Donahue also smacked a four-bagger, sending a 2-run shot over the fence in the first contest of the afternoon. MacKenzie Lewis came off the bench in second game and supplied a two-RBI single to round out the multi-RBI Warriors.
In the circle,
Mickayla Grow (W, 2-0) earned the victory in relief in game one, not allowing a hit in 2.2innings of action.
Morgan Chapman (W, 1-1) took the win in game two, conceding just an infield single in five innings of work. She struck out a pair, while giving up just one earned run.
GAME ONE
It was Felician that struck on the scoreboard first, as the Golden Falcons' first hit of the game was a solo home run off the bat of Daisha Howard in the top of the 2nd. Felician tacked on two more runs in the frame, on a pair of RBI singles to grab a 3-0 advantage.
As it has done all season, ESU fought back, posting a pair of runs in the bottom half of the second. An RBI double from Kaitlin Houser would score Spencer to cut the deficit to 3-1. Govan followed with a single, as ESU took advantage of a mental error from Felician, as Houser came around to score when nobody was paying attention at home plate to make it a 3-2 contest.
In the bottom of the 3rd, ESU would tie the contest up at 3-3, after taking advantage of an error off a sacrifice fly from Vicendes.
The Golden Falcons retook the advantage on the scoreboard at 5-3 in the fifth frame. An RBI double and a fielder's choice would give Felician two tallies in the stanza. Donahue provided instant offense for ESU with a clutch two-run home run in the bottom half of the inning to knot the game back up at 5-5.
Grow fired a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the sixth to setup the ESU offense in the home half of the inning.
Wright and Vicendese provided RBI singles, while Sofia Cecchin belted a sacrifice fly to right, as ESU took an 8-5 lead after six frames at Creekview Park.
Grow continued her strong outing by setting down the side in order in the seventh, as ESU earned the 8-5 win in game one.
GAME TWO
Chapman entered the circle for her fourth start of the campaign and retired the first three Golden Falcons she faced. A walk, single and hit-by-pitch setup Walsh with a 3-2, two-out grand slam in her first at bat of the afternoon. The senior's big fly was the second of her career, with her first coming against Shippensburg on April 5, 2018.
Felician did not go away easy, plating two runs in its at bats in the top of the 2nd, taking advantage of an ESU error.
Th score remained stagnant until the bottom half of the fourth inning, as ESU exploded for seven runs on five hits and one error. All five hits were singles in the inning, as the Warriors took control of the contest. Arner, Lewis (2 RBI) and Coyle all contributed RBI singles, while Vicendes was able to score on a fielder's choice.
Both teams went down in order in the fifth inning, as ESU earned the 11-2 win by reaching the eight-run lead threshold after five innings.
ESU returns to PSAC East play on Friday, when the Warriors host West Chester at Creekview Park. The first pitch of the doubleheader is slated for 2:00 p.m.
