STROUDSBURG -- In its final home regular season doubleheader, the East Stroudsburg University softball team settled for a split with Lock Haven (5-0, 4-3) on Friday afternoon at Creekview Park.

Entering the final day of the regular season on Saturday the Warriors (33-7, 8-6 PSAC East) are tied for third in the standings with Shepherd and Bloomsburg who are all 8-6 in league play. The Bald Eagles close the season with a 17-18, 6-10 conference record.

ESU can finish as high as second place and as low as sixth place in the PSAC East standings depending on Saturday's games. The top-five teams in both the PSAC East and PSAC West standings qualify for the PSAC Tournament next week in Quakertown.

 The Warriors currently hold the tiebreaker with Shepherd (8-6 PSAC East) and Millersville (7-7 PSAC East), while Kutztown (10-4, PSAC East) and Shippensburg (9-5, PSAC East), hold tiebreakers over ESU.

The Warriors would have to sweep Bloomsburg to overtake the Huskies in the standings tomorrow, as ESU was swept by second-place Shippensburg, while BU was able to take a game from Ship for the tiebreaker.

Notables

• Reilly Vicendese blasted a two-run home run in game one, leading ESU with a pair of RBIs on the day.
• Molly Nies smacked four hits including a double, also providing a run batted in.
• Kaitlyn Caleen also collected an RBI in game one, smacking a double in the first game.  
• Katie Zaun (W, 11-4) tossed 12 strikeouts in the game one win, reaching 10-plus strikeouts for the sixth time this season. She stands just eight strikeouts away from breaking the single season mark with 155. Monica Soboleski tallied 154 strikeouts in 134.2 innings in 2004. Zaun has 147 strikeouts in 104.2 innings this season.
• Paige Zigmund would have a no decision, pitching three -plus innings of scoreless softball. Leigh Ann Jenkins (L, 9-3) entered the game in the fourth frame. She allowed six hits along with a pair of earned runs and unearned runs in the loss. Zaun got the final out in game two.  

How It Happened - Game One

• Zaun started the contest with three consecutive strikeouts, picking up where she left off.
• It did not take long for the Warriors to score a run, as a one-out, two-run home run to lift ESU to a 2-0 advantage.
• LHU looked to counter in the top of 2nd, as a Bald Eagle reached second base after a two-base error, but Zaun stranded her on second with her fifth strikeout.
• The Warriors put two runners on base in the bottom of the 2nd, on back-to-back hit by pitches, but a runner would be caught stealing to end the second frame.
• The Allentown native continued to mow down Bald Eagles, picking up her 10th strikeout of the game to end the fourth inning.
• ESU padded its lead with two runs in the fourth inning, with Shaw-Tait sending a hit that was misplayed by the second baseman and allowed Spencer to score, who reached on a double. Caleen followed with a double herself, scoring Shaw-Tait and earned an RBI.
• The Warriors added an insurance run in the fifth, as Nies sent home McKeown with an RBI single to extend the ESU lead over LHU to 5-0.
• After a scoreless sixth inning, Zaun allowed a pair of runners on base via an error and a single, but stranded them on base for her fifth shutout of the season and her 11th victory.

How It Happened - Game Two

• Facing her former team, Paige Zimgund allowed a two-out double in the opening frame, but settled and got the third out via a ground out.
• LHU struck first in the top of the 4th. Jenkins took over mound duties after one pitch, and allowed a pair of unearned runs. A single followed by an error put Bald Eagles on the corners, as a squeeze play by Morgan Karasek would score a run with Bella Schmitt scoring on the play. A ground out would result in LHU's second run in the frame.
• ESU got a run back in its next at bats to close the fourth inning, as a passed ball allowed Sofia Cecchin to score from third base.
• The Bald Eagles threatened with two runners in scoring position following a leadoff ground out, with a walk and double. Jenkins would tally a strikeout for the second out, as the Folsom, Pa. native escaped further damage with a pop out to the shortstop.
• The Warriors were able to tie the contest with two runs in the bottom of the 6th. After an infield single by Mckeown, Nies followed with a double to put runners on second and third base. LHU switched pitchers, as a wild pitch would score McKeown, slicing the deficit to one. NIes would come around to score later in the inning on a game-tying sacrifice fly.
• With the game tied entering the seventh frame, LHU's Riley McLellan kept the inning alive with a single, and would steal second immediately. Morgan Karasek followed with a go-ahead triple, scoring McClellan, as Zaun entered the game in relief. Zaun allowed a single, but McKeown would get the force out at second base to not allow a potential run to score.
• LHU's Waltman retired the Warriors in order in the bottom of the 7th, lifting LHU to a 4-3 win over the Warriors.

Up Next

ESU closes the regular season on Saturday, traveling to Bloomsburg for a doubleheader with the Huskies. First pitch is set for 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.