STROUDSBURG – Led by strong performances from East Stroudsburg University first baseman
Jada Smallwood and ESU pitcher
Paige Zigmund, the Warriors picked up a 5-2 win in game one and fell 5-2 in the latter half of the doubleheader for a split with West Chester on Friday afternoon at Creekview Park's Vigon International Field.
The Warriors (19-9, 7-3 PSAC East) are sit in fourth place in the top-heavy PSAC East, with the Golden Rams (18-11, 6-2 PSAC East) now just a half game ahead in a tie for second place with Shippensburg.
Notables
- Jada Smallwood was a force offensively, going a combined 5-6 at the plate with a homerun and a double, producing four RBIs to pace the bats. She is now batting .348 on the season, with three home runs and 23 RBIs. She is tied for the lead league with 11 doubles.
- Abigail Weirich and Reilly Vicendese both contributed three hits. Weirich posted an RBI double in game two to tie the contest at 2-2. Vicendese scored four runs and connected on three singles. Vicendese is third in the PSAC in runs scored with 32 on the season, just one behind WCU's Madison Melvin and two behind first-place Delaney Good (Lock Haven).
- Also registering an RBI on the afternoon was Denva Shaw-Tait. Shaw-Tait, Brooke McKeown and Shannon Edelman (2B) each smacked a hit each.
- Paige Zigmund (W, 10-2) had another successful outing the circle, holding WCU to a .259 batting average in the complete game, allowing just two extra-base hits, while striking out four Golden Rams. She is tied with Millersville's Alex Schaefer with the most wins in the PSAC this season.
- Leigh Ann Jenkins (L, 5-3) was charged with the game-two loss, tossing six-plus inning, while allowing 11 hits, and four earned runs, while striking out a pair of WCU batters. Maddy Pritchard got the final three outs of the contest, allowing a hit and an earned run.
How It Happened – ESU 5, WCU 2
- West Chester struck first in its first at bats. After back-to-back singles, to start the contest, a one-out two-RBI double by Hailey Melvin lifted WCU to a 2-0 advantage.
- It did not take long for the Warriors to respond. After the first two batters were retired, Vicendese kept the frame alive with a single for ESU's first hit. Smallwood came up with a clutch two-run home run to knot the score at 2-2.
- The Warriors took its first lead in the bottom of the 3rd. Smallwood produced her third RBI, smacking a double to right center with one out in the frame. After a ground out, Shaw-Tait collected a two-out RBI single to make it a 4-2 contest.
- ESU added a run in the bottom of the 5th after a throwing error from West Chester.
- That is all the run support Zigmund needed, going the distance to pick up her 10th win of the season.
How It Happened – Game 2
- In another intense contest, Jenkins and WCU's Antonia Browning dueled to start the second game.
- ESU took the first lead in the bottom of the 3rd. Vicendese belted a two-out single to keep the frame alive. After stealing second, she crossed home plate off the bat of a Jada Smallwood single, lifting the Warriors to a 1-0 lead.
- The lead did not last, as a leadoff double would come around to score with two outs. After a flyout and strikeout, Meg Wolfe sent a single into the outfield to knot the score at 1-1.
- The Golden Rams nabbed its first lead of the contest in the top of the 5th. WCU put the opening batter on base with a walk. After a sacrifice bunt and a groundout advanced the runner to third.
- The Warriors were able to get the run back in the bottom of the 6th to make it a 2-2 game late. After a Smallwood single, Weirich registered a one-out double to earn an RBI and tie the contest at 2-2.
- Unfortunately for the Warriors, WCU was able to put three runs on three hits in the top of the 7th, which proved to be the difference in the back-and-forth battle. After back-to-back singles to leadoff the frame, the Warriors switched pitchers, with Pritchard entering the ball game. After the getting the first batter to line out, she allowed a walk to load the bases. With two outs, WCU's Meg Wolfe sent a triple to center field to clear the bases and pushed WCU ahead of ESU, 5-2.
- The Warriors went down in order in the bottom half of the seventh, settling for the split with West Chester.
Up Next
- The Warriors (19-9, 7-3 PSAC East) return to Creekview Park on Tuesday, taking on Mansfield (9-11, 0-8 PSAC East).
- Game times are slated for 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. in the Poconos.
