Lock Haven, Pa. – The East Stroudsburg University softball team closed the first half of the PSAC East division slate with a road split against Lock Haven on Saturday afternoon at Lawrence Field. ESU won game one, 8-2, but could not sweep the Bald Eagles, falling in game two by a score of 5-3.
Despite the split, the Warriors (23-11, 11-5 PSAC East) remain in second place. The Bald Eagles (17-15, 7-9 PSAC East) snapped a three-game losing streak with the win in game two.
Notables
• Pacing the bats on the day were
Molly Nies (5-6, 1 3B, 2 runs, 2 RBI),
Katherine Donaghue (4-7, 1 run, 3 RBI), and
Jada Smallwood (2-7, 2 HR, 5 RBI).
Reilly Vicendese also contributed an RBI, posting two singles.
Denva Shaw-Tait and
Abigail Weirich also tallied multiple hits on the day.
• Smallwood blasted a two-run home run in game one and a three-run shot in game two. She now leads the Warriors with five home runs and trails Weirich by two RBIs (34-32) for the team lead. Both Weirich and Smallwood are nearing the season record for RBIs, with
Kaitlyn Caleen posting 36 in 2019.
• Also nearing a season record is
Reilly Vicendese, who leads ESU with 39 runs scored in 34 games this season, which currently ranks third behind Kaylee Hazewski (41) and Jen Veronesi (43).
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Paige Zigmund (W, 12-3) bounced back from a rare loss on Friday, going the distance for her 12th win of the season in game one. She allowed six hits and two earned runs, while striking out four and walking five. She held LHU to a .231 batting average.
•
Leigh Ann Jenkins (L, 7-4) started game two for the Warriors. She went 5.1 innings, allowing eight runs on eight hits, with five strikeouts and two walks.
Maddy Pritchard got the final two outs, allowing one hit.
How It Happened – ESU 8, Lock Haven 3
• Lock Haven took the first lead of the doubleheader. A bases-loaded walk by Haley Lestician sent home the opening run with no outs. Zigmund limited the damage, forcing a flyout which resulted in a double play after a nice throw by Nies for the second out. Nies caught the ensuing flyout for the final out.
• The Warriors tied the contest in the top of the 3rd. After a leadoff single from Donaghue, she advanced to scoring position on a sac-bunt and scored on a Nies single up the middle to tie the contest.
• After a one-out error put McKeown on base, Nies came through with a triple to score her to give the Warriors the lead. Vicendese followed with a sacrifice fly to score Nies from third, grabbing a 3-1 lead.
• In the top of the 6th, Donaghue smacked an RBI single to score Shaw-Tait, who reached base with a one-out single and advanced to second after a Kaitlin Hoser single.
• The Bald Eagles cut the deficit to two in the bottom of the 6th, after a triple and a wild pitch.
• In the top of the 7th, ESU padded the lead with four runs on five hits and took advantage of an error. Smallwood belted her home run, while Donaghue later followed with a two-run single, extending ESU's advantage to 8-2.
• LHU posted a leadoff single to start the bottom half of the seventh, but Zigmund forced a flyout, fielder's choice and struck out the final batter for her 12th win of the season.
How It Happened – Lock Haven 5, ESU 3
• Lock Haven scored 2 runs in the bottom of the 3rd to open the scoring. After a leadoff single and a stolen base by Delaney Good, she crossed the plate after a double by Summer Peters. An RBI single by Haley Lestician accounted for the second run, as LHU took a 2-0 lead.
• ESU was held off the scoreboard until the top of the 6th. Nies reached base with a single, while Vicendese found a spot on base with a fielder's choice. Smallwood came up with the clutch three-run home run to lift the Warriors to a 3-2 lead. ESU threatened with an additional run, with Weirich reaching third, but could not convert.
• The edge did not last, with a Bald Eagle RBI single, a wild pitch and throwing error, and a solo home run gave Lock Haven a 5-3 lead.
• With three outs remaining, ESU could not get a base runner in the top of the 7th, falling to LHU, 5-3.
Up Next
• The Warriors return home to Creekview Park on Tuesday, taking on Kutztown. First pitches are slated for 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. in the Poconos.
