STROUDSBURG – The East Stroudsburg University softball team closed the regular season strong with a sweep of Lock Haven and set its program record for wins in the process, defeating the Bald Eagles, 4-1 and 5-1 on Friday afternoon at Creekview Park's Vigon International Field.

With their first win of the day, the Warriors (36-14, 22-8 PSAC East) broke its previous record of 34 wins set in 2022. ESU's previous record was 29 wins, set in 2007 and matched in 2021. The Bald Eagles (24-24, 14-18 PSAC East) will have to wait to see if they have earned the fifth and final spot allotted to the eastern division of the PSAC Tournament.

The Warriors, who clinched a PSAC Tournament berth last week, await its next opponent following the conclusion of the regular season on Monday. All games of the PSAC Tournament will be played at Veteran's Memorial Park in Quakertown, which begins on Wed., May 3 and ends on Sat., May 6.  

Prior to the doubleheader, the East Stroudsburg University athletic department honored seniors Leigh Ann Jenkins, Denva Shaw-Tait, Katherine Donaghue, Gianna Coyle, Lexi Wright and Molly Nies.
 
Notables

• Molly Nies led the Warriors with three RBIs, collecting a double along with a pair of singles, along with a sacrifice fly.
• Also posting three hits were Brooke McKeown and Reilly Vicendese, who both produced a run.
• Lexi Wright posted a pair of hits, including a triple. Wright also collected an RBI. Other Warriors that drove in a run include Jada Smallwood and Kaitlin Houser.
• Paige Zigmund (W, 20-3) became the first 20-game winner in program history, setting the program record for wins earlier this season. Zigmund allowed just two hits and zero earned runs (1 total), while walking four and striking out four. She held LHU to a .091 batting average.
• Leigh Ann Jenkins (W, 10-7) picked up her 10th win of the season in a complete-game performance on her Senior Day. The Folsom native conceded seven hits and an unearned run (1 total). She struck out three while walking a pair.
• In 2021, ESU matched its program record for wins in 2007 with 29 wins. ESU totaled 34 wins in the 2022 season and closes the 2023 season with 36 wins to set a new record.

How It Happened – ESU 4, Lock Haven 1

• The Warriors scored once again in the first inning. McKeown started strong with a walk and then stole second. After tagging up on a fly out to advance to third, she came around to score on a Smallwood RBI single.  
• ESU lengthened its lead in the bottom of the 3rd. McKeown started the rally again with a leadoff single. With one out, she scored on a single from Vicendese, after a fielding error by the LHU centerfielder.
• The Bald Eagles were able to cut the deficit back to a single run in the top of the 4th. With runners on second and third, a wild pitch allowed an LHU runner to score.
• The Warriors were able to get the run back plus an additional run in the bottom half of the fourth frame. A Houser RBI triple, along with a Lexi Wright bunt single provided two Warrior runs. ESU took a 4-1 lead into the fifth.
• Zigmund did not need any additional run support from that point on, as Zigmund did not allow a hit past the fourth inning. She earned her PSAC leading and ESU school-record 20th win of the season.

How It Happened – ESU 5, Lock Haven 1

• This time it was Lock Haven that struck first, scoring a run after a fielding error with two outs.
• The Warriors nearly knotted the game in its first at bats, with two singles to leadoff the bottom of the 1st, but ultimately the runners were stranded.
• In the bottom of the second, the Warriors were able to load the bases. With two outs, Nies was able to smack a clutch double with a full-count, to lift the Warriors to a 2-1 lead.
• In the bottom of the 4th, ESU loaded the bases with no outs. A sacrifice fly from Nies allowed Edelman to score the third Warrior run, taking a 3-1 lead.
• After a few scoreless innings, the Warriors added a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the 6th. After a leadoff triple from Wright, McKeown sent a deep flyout to right field for the sacrifice fly. Vicendese followed with another triple to score an additional run, taking a 5-1 edge into the seventh.
• Jenkins allowed a one-out triple in the top of the 7th, but settled to get the final two outs to pick up her 10th win of the campaign.

Up Next

• ESU heads to Quakertown for the PSAC Tournament next week.
• The Warriors await it next opponent, which it will be determined on Monday following the conclusion of the regular season schedule.

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