QUAKERTOWN, Pa. -- Despite a pair of first inning home runs, the East Stroudsburg University softball team could not overcome a five-run fifth inning from Kutztown, falling to the Golden Bears by a score of 10-3 on Wednesday evening at Veterans Park.
The Warriors (34-10) will now head to the loser's bracket and will face IUP in an elimination game on Thursday at 10:00 a.m. The Golden Bears (34-13) will advance to play Bloomsburg, who earned a 9-3 win over Seton Hill in its first contest of the conference tournament.
Notables
- The Warriors started strong offensively, with Brooke McKeown and Reilly Vicendese each blasting solo home runs to start the game, lifting ESU to an early lead over Kutztown.
- The bats then went quiet for ESU, posting four hits the rest of the way.
- McKeown and Molly Nies each tallied two hits, while Vicendese's home run and Lexi Wright's single accounted for the six hits.
- Paige Zigmund suffered just her second loss of the season, allowing 10 hits and five earned runs in five innings. Leigh Ann Jenkins allowed three unearned runs on four hits. Mickayla pitched the final two outs, allowing one hit.
How It Happened
- After not scoring a run in its first six innings on the day, ESU could not start the contest any better, with McKeown blasting a home run. Vicendese followed with a one-out solo shot a few batters later. KU's Bridget Bailey entered the game allowing just four home runs in 161 innings on the year.
- KU threatened in the bottom of 2nd, as a single and walk with one out put two Golden Bears on base. A flyout accounted for the second out, as McKeown made a terrific throw to third on the play to get the runner tagging up from second.
- The Golden Bears offense tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the 3rd with an RBI single, along with a sacrifice fly. Zigmund got the final out with her fourth strikeout of the game to keep the score tied.
- Kutztown grabbed its first lead of the PSAC Tournament in the bottom of the 4th. After a ground out, an error and a two-out single put two runners on base, the Warriors put Jenkins in the game for Zigmund. KU's Stocklin smacked a double down the left field line to lift KU to a 4-2 advantage. KU was not done yet, adding its third and fourth run of the inning on a pair of RBI singles. All five runs scored were unearned, due to the earlier error. Zigmund reentered the game and got the final out with a flyout, as the Golden Bears took a 7-2 advantage.
- The Warriors had life in the top of the 5th, as Wright and McKeown both belted two-out singles, but unfortunately for ESU, the next batted ball would hit McKeown on her way to third, resulting in a runner's interference out.
- The Golden Bears added a solo home run in the fifth, taking a 8-2 advantage through five frames. Â
- With the game in hand, KU added two runs in the bottom of the 6th to end the contest early. Grow entered the game and got two outs, but the Golden Bears handed ESU its first run-rule loss of the season with an RBI single.
Up Next
- With the loss, ESU will battle IUP, who lost to Shepherd, 11-3 in their first contest, in an elimination game on Thursday morning at 10:00 a.m.
