SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.VA. – Another complete performance resulted in another sweep for the East Stroudsburg University softball team, who extended its winning streak to 11 games by downing Shepherd, 8-2 in game one and completed the sweep with a 6-3 victory in game two on Thursday afternoon at Sara Cree Field.
The Warriors (17-7, 5-1 PSAC East) pick up its fifth win in six PSAC East contests, while the Rams (15-7, 0-4) fall to 0-4 in conference after a 14-game winning streak.
Notables
- Abby Weirich paced the bats with four RBIs, belting three singles. She batted .429 on the day, also reaching base via a hit by pitch. She now has 24 RBIs in 24 games this season,
- Reilly Vicendese scored four runs and contributed three RBIs, including a solo home run in game two.
- With game two tied at 3-3, Lexi Wright provided a clutch two-run double for the go-ahead runs. She later scored in the inning for the final run of the game.
- Katherine Donaghue also contributed two RBIs, using a two-RBI double in game two to give ESU a 2-1 lead.
- Kaitlin Houser blasted a two-run single in the opening game.
- Paige Zigmund (W, 8-2) posted another impressive performance in the circle, scattering four hits in a complete game performance, allowing just two earned runs while striking out eight Rams. She faced just five over the minimum, allowing just a one walk.
- Leigh Ann Jenkins (W, 5-1) tossed all seven innings in game two, striking out five while conceding just three earned runs.
- After two hits in the opening game, Brooke McKeown saw her 17-game hitting streak come to a close. It's the second longest streak since Mary Wallick totaled a 19-game streak in 2017. It's also the second longest hitting streak since 2002.
- During its winning streak over the past 11 games, ESU has outscored the opposition, 87-21 and has outhit foes .362-.200. ESU's pitcher's have allowed just 14 earned runs in that span.
- During the streak, Zigmund is holding batters to a .093 ERA and a .167 batting average, giving up just four earned runs in 30 innings, striking out 39 and walking just three batters.
- ESU has four batters hitting above .400 over the past 11 games, including Brooke McKeown (.472), Vicendese (.471), Abigail Weirich (.441) and Molly Nies (.405).
- The Warriors have committed just seven errors during the 11-game streak (.975 fielding percentage).
How It Happened – ESU 8, Shepherd 2
- ESU struck for three runs in its first at bats. After starting the game with back-to-back singles, Vicendese sent both runners home on an RBI single. The Warriors added a run off an error, taking a 3-0 lead.
- It did not take Shepherd long to respond, as a single and home run cut the deficit to just one run. Zigmund settled to get three consecutive batters out - two via strikeout, along with a flyout.
- Vicendese lifted ESU to a two-run lead with her first home run of the season and the fifth of her career in the top of the 3rd.
- Holding a 4-2 edge, ESU blew the game open in the fifth frame. Wit the bases loaded and one out, Abby Weirich smacked a two-run RBI single to right field to score a pair of runs. After a pitching change, Houser followed with another two-RBI single, as the Warriors took a significant 8-2 edge after five innings.
- Zigmund did not need any more run support, allowing just one hit after the second inning to improve her record to 8-2.
How It Happened – ESU 6, Shepherd 3
- This time, the Rams took the lead first, with a two-out RBI triple sending home the first run of the contest.
- ESU quickly responded in the top of the 2nd. With the bases loaded after an HBP, single and walk, Donaghue blasted a two-run double, lifting ESU to a 2-1 lead.
- The Warriors added a run to its leas in the third frame. With two outs, Weirich smacked an RBI single to score Vicendese, as ESU took a 3-1 lead. SU responded with a successful squeeze play in the bottom half of the inning, with an RBI off a bunt single, cutting the deficit to 3-2 after three innings.
- The contest remained scoreless until the bottom of the fifth. After Jenkins' notched her second strikeout, Isabella Forte tied the game at 3-3 following a solo home run.
- In the sixth, Shannon Edelman belted a double to lead off the inning. After Katherine Donaghue was hit by a pitch, Wright provided the go-ahead double to left field, to score both runners on base. Wright came around to score for ESU's sixth and final run of the day on a wild pitch.
- Jenkins retired the side in order in the sixth and stranded a leadoff single on base in the seventh, to preserve the sweep for the Warriors.
Up Next
- ESU, winners of 11 consecutive contests, head to defending PSAC Champion Kutztown (8-10, 2-0 PSAC East) on Tuesday for a doubleheader.
- Game times are set for 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.
