MANSFIELD, Pa. – The East Stroudsburg University softball team continued its strong descent towards the PSAC Tournament, sweeping Mansfield by scores of 3-2 and 10-3 on the road at Helen Lutes Field on Thursday afternoon.
With the pair of victories, the Warriors (34-14, 22-8 PSAC East) have now won eight of its past 10 entering the final doubleheader of the regular season on Friday. The Mountaineers (10-34, 1-31 PSAC East) losing streak was extended to 15 to close the 2023 season.
Notables
- Denva Shaw-Tait paced ESU with five hits, including two doubles. She was one of four Warriors to drive in two runs. She also scored three runs to lead the Warriors.
- Kaitlin Houser also smacked a pair of RBIs, belting four hits, including a double.
- Joining Shaw-Tait and Houser with multiple RBIs was Brooke McKeown (3 1B), Abigail Weirich (2 1B, SF) and Shannon Edelman (2B).
- The Warriors batteed .344 on the day and held Mansfield to a .236 batting average.
- Paige Zigmund (W, 19-3) tossed another impressive performance in the circle, allowing eight hits, two earned runs and two walks while striking out eight Mounties in the complete game. She now leads the PSAC with 19 victories on the season.
- Leigh Ann Jenkins (W, 9-7) pitched 6.1 innings in her ninth win of the season. She allowed just four hits and two earned runs (three total) striking out nine while walking four. Maddy Pritchard got the final two outs, allowing a single.
- With the two wins, ESU tied its season record for wins set last season with 34. Needing one win with two regular season games remaining, along with the PSAC Tournament spot clinched, the Warriors look to set a new program record for wins in each of the past three seasons.
How It Happened – ESU 3, Mansfield 2
- The Warriors were able to plate the first runs in the contest in the top of the 2nd. Weirich, who reached first on a single, came around to score on a double from Shaw-Tait. It didn't take long for the New Zealand native to cross home plate, with Houser smacking an RBI single immediately after.
- The lead did not last long, with the Mounties scoring two runs to tie the game in the bottom of the 3rd. With the bases loaded and two outs, Fallon Kelley connected on a two-RBI single.
- The Warriors took the lead for good in the top of the 4th. With two outs and runners on the corners, McKeown was able to beat out an infield hit for the go-ahead run.
- After the two-RBI single in the third, Zigmund scattered the final five hits over the final three innings to pick up her 19th win.
How It Happened – ESU 10, Mansfield 3
- The Warriors were able to tally a run in each of the first three innings.
- With two outs, an Edelman double would bring home McKeown, who opened the game with a walk. The Warriors doubled its lead in the top of the 2nd, with a Donaghue RBI single to score Shaw-Tait.
- In the third frame, a sacrifice fly from Weirich supplied the third run.
- The Mounties got back into the contest in the bottom half of the third, with a two-run home run from Kayla Vonstein.
- The Warriors took full control after the MU home run, pouring in six runs on eight hits. In the explosive inning, Houser and Wright connected on a two-RBI double, followed by a McKeown Rbi single. Vicendese then added an RBI double, Edelman tallied her second RBI of game two with a sacrifice fly. Up 8-2, ESU added another run with a Shaw-Tait single.
- Holding a seven-run lead, ESU added its 10th run in the top of the 6th, after Edelman scored on a fielding error.
- The Mounties were able to extend the game in the sixth after a throwing error allowed a run to score to cut the deficit to 10-3.
- Pritchard entered the circle needing two outs to complete the win for Jenkins, and she did just that. ESU picked up the season sweep with a 10-3 win in game two.
Up Next
- The Warriors close the regular season tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. for Senior Day at Creekview Park against Lock Haven.
