STROUDSBURG -- With a pair of victories against Nyack, the 25th ranked East Stroudsburg University softball team tied its program record for wins in a season with 29, defeating the Warriors 3-1, 10-2 on Monday afternoon at Creekview Park.

ESU (29-5) matches its most wins in a season, which was set in 2007 and matched in 2021. Nyack falls to 6-23.   

Notables

• The Warriors tallied 15 of its 19 hits in game two. Denva Shaw-Tait paced the offense with three RBIs, contributing a two-RBI double along with a single.
• Kaitlin Houser blasted a two-run home run in game two. She also added a single.
• Sofia Cecchin, Molly Nies and Ashley Spencer contributed three hits and an RBI each.
• Madison Chapman recorded hits in two of three at bats in game two, and sent home two Warrriors.
• In the circle, Katie Zaun (9-4) picked up her ninth win of the season in game one, pitching her eighth complete game of the season. She scattered six hits and allowed just one earned run. She finished with eight strikeouts.
• Paige Zigmund and Leigh Ann Jenkins each pitched three innings in game two, with Jenkins (8-1) earning the win . She allowed five hits and two runs and struck out three. Zigmund allowed three hits and a walk in her three-plus innings of work.
• ESU had three different catchers throw out would-be base stealers at second base. Kaitlyn Caleen (game one), Rachel Seiverd (game two) and Kaitlin Houser (game two) each causing a caught stealing.

How it Happened - Game One

• Zaun allowed a single in her first action on the week, but would strand the Warrior on base to keep the contest scoreless.
• ESU opened the contest with a walk by McKeown, who would steal second base and came around to score on an RBI single by Nies.
• Both teams struggled to score from that point, with both pitchers settling in and scattering hits.
• In the bottom of the 6th, the Warriors added two insurance runs. Shaw-Tait smacked an RBI single and Donaghue provided a two-base sacrifice fly to lift ESU to a 3-0 advantage.
• The visiting Warriors made game one interesting in the top of the 7th. After Vicendese tallied an impressive 6-4 double play, an infield single and a two-out RBI double sliced the deficit to two runs. Zaun was able to avoid further damage with a pop out to second base to preserve ESU's 28th win of the season in the 3-1 win.

How it Happened - Game Two

• Just like game one, it took time for both Warriors' bats a few innings to get going.
• ESU had a solid opportunity to score game two's first run in the bottom of the 3rd inning, after a ground out, Roche sent a one-out triple in the gap to right center. Unfortunately for ESU, a screaming line out to third base was turned into a double play, as Nyack escaped the inning unscathed.
• Nyack was able to take the first lead of the contest in the top of the 4th inning. With two outs and runners on first and second base, NC's Izzy Morales smacked a two-RBI double to lift the Warriors to a 2-0 lead. Jenkins came into the contest after a leadoff walk from Zigmund with no outs.
• ESU immediately got the runs back and then some to close the fourth frame strong. The home Warriors tied the contest with a  two-run double off the bat of Shaw-Tait and then took its first lead with a single from Chapman. Leading 3-2, ESU capped the scoring in the fourth with a Houser home run which scored two additional runs. ESU used five hits to score the five runs, securing a lead on the scoreboard.
• Nyack put two runners in scoring position with two leadoff singles, but Jenkins did not allow any Warriors to score, forcing three ground outs.
• ESU padded its lead to five in the bottom of the 5th, scoring two runs on three hits and took advantage of an error. Nies scored on the error, while Chapman sent home Sofia Cecchin with an RBI single to right field.
• Jenkins took care of business in the 6th inning, as ESU ended the contest in the bottom half by reaching the eight-run rule mercy threshold. Vicendese and Cecchin both provided RBI singles, while Spencer ended the game with an RBI double to score Reilly Vicendese. 

Up Next

• ESU returns to PSAC East action on Friday, when the Warriors travel to Millersville for a doubleheader. The opening pitch is set for 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.