STROUDSBURG – On a balmy day at Creekview Park, the East Stroudsburg University softball team swept Shepherd, 4-2, and 8-5, on Friday afternoon at Vigon International Field for the season sweep of the Rams.
The Warriors (26-12, 14-6 PSAC East) move into sole possession of second place with the sweep, after Shippensburg split with Bloomsburg. The Rams (23-17, 6-14 PSAC East) losing streak is extended to six with the pair of losses.
With four RBIs on the day, ESU left fielder
Abigail Weirich surpassed former teammate
Kaitlyn Caleen for the most RBIs in a single season with 38. Caleen posted 36 RBIs during her All-PSAC First Team campaign in 2019. Both Weirich and
Jada Smallwood (35 RBIs) have plenty of time to do damage to the new record, with 12 regular-season games remaining.
Notables
- Weirich smacked a pair of hits and four RBIs solo home run and a two-run RBI single. She blasted ESU's first run of the day with a solo home run in the second inning. She added an RBI via a bases loaded hit-by-pitch in the sixth inning of game one. Weirich broke the record with a two-RBI single in the first inning of game two, to tie the contest at 2-2. She extended her hitting streak to 19 games, matching Mary Wallick's 19-game streak set in 2017. It is tied for the longest hitting streak since records are available since the 2002 season. Abbie also successfully stole her 25th base in 25 chances, leading ESU in both stolen bases and stolen base percentage.
- Denva Shaw-Tait and Brooke McKeown also tallied multiple RBIs with two each.
- Reilly Vicendese scored three runs and belted a double and triple, along with an RBI.
- Katherine Donaghue smacked a pair of hits and was walked twice for a .500 batting average and .667 on-base percentage to lead the Warriors in the doubleheader.
- Molly Nies posted two singles and a triple to lead ESU with three hits.
- Smallwood also connected on an RBI.
- Paige Zigmund (W, 14-3) tossed a complete game in the opener, allowing just five hits and two earned runs, as she struck out five while walking two. She held the Rams to a .208 batting average for her 13th win of the season.
- Leigh Ann Jenkins did not have a decision in the second contest, allowing four hits in 3.1 innings, while walking four and giving up five runs. Maddy Pritchard (W, 5-2) pitched the final 3.2 innings, allowing three singles for her fifth win in 13 appearances.
How It Happened - ESU 4, Shepherd 2
- ESU looked to score in its first at-bats in the bottom of the first. After a groundout, Nies smacked a one-out triple to right center. Back-to-back groundouts to third base ended the first frame without a run.
- After Zigmund struck out the side in order, ESU recorded the first two runs of the doubleheader in the bottom of the 2nd. A leadoff home run by Weirich contributed to the first run. After a Shaw-Tait single, a sacrifice bunt moved the New Zealand native over to scoring position. A flyout off the bat of Katherine Donaghue resulted in a run, after the right fielder's throw was offline on the tag. Shaw-Tait crossed the plate with an unearned run to take a 2-0 lead after two.
- Shepherd was able to even the contest in the top of the 6th. With two outs, a walk followed by a fielding error started a rally. Kylie Condon followed with a triple, to score a pair of unearned runs.
- The Warriors answered in the bottom of the 6th with another two runs. Despite the only hit being a leadoff single by Nies, ESU put runners on base with back-to-back walks and a hit-by-pitch which gave ESU a 3-2 edge. With the bases still loaded, Shaw-Tait connected on a long sacrifice fly to add an insurance run.
- Zigmund was able to avoid giving up any runs in the top of the 7th, after a leadoff single. She forced back-to-back flyouts. With two outs, Shepherd's Noland sent a double to left field, Isabella Forte attempted to score on the play, but strong throws from McKeown and Wright and a nice tag by Edelman accounted for the final out of the contest in the 4-2 win.
How It Happened - ESU 8, Shepherd 5
- This time it was the Rams that started the scoring. The Rams started strong with a walk, single, and a two-RBI double by Kylie Condon.
- The Warriors immediately answered, with a walk and a double. With two outs, Weirich smacked a two-RBI single to set the school record for RBIs with 38 on the season. Weirich stole second and came around to score on a Shaw-Tait RBI single, as the Warriors grabbed a 3-2 lead.
- The lead did not last, with the Rams scoring a pair of runs in the top of the 2nd. The Rams put its first two batters on base via a walk. After a strikeout, Nicole Purtell connected on a two-RBI double to lift SU to a 4-3 lead.
- After a flyout and walk to lead off the fourth frame, Pritchard entered the contest in relief of Jenkins. Purtell posted another RBI via a sacrifice fly to add a run to the Rams' lead.
- The back-and-forth affair continued, as ESU took control of the game with five runs to retake the lead for good to close the 6th inning. The Warriors produced six hits and took advantage of two errors in the inning. Lexi Wright beat out an infield single, with an error on the throw which allowed pinch-runner Jade Hassler to score. McKeown followed with an RBI single to score Donaghue and Wright. Vicendese kept the big inning going with a triple, while Smallwood followed with an RBI single for the eighth run for the Warriors.
- Shepherd smacked a one-out single for a base runner but was stranded, as Pritchard forced a flyout and lineout to end the ball game.
Up Next
- The Warriors are idle Saturday, due to rain in the forecast. The postponed doubleheader with Shippensburg will take place on Sunday at Creekview Park's Vigon International Field.
- Game times are scheduled for 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.
