STROUSDSBURG – The No. 1 seed East Stroudsburg University softball team started it journey in its fourth NCAA Regional strong, taking down Bowie State, 6-2, on Thursday afternoon at Creekview Park's Vigon International Field.
With the win, the Warriors (39-16) will battle rival No. 4 seed West Chester at 11:00 a.m. on Friday. The Golden Rams defeated No. 5 seed West Virginia Wesleyan, 6-3 in the second game of the day. The Bulldogs (35-15) will take on West Virginia Wesleyan in an elimination game on Friday at 1:30 p.m.
Paige Zigmund set the Warriors' single season strikeout record in her 22nd win of the season, now with 177 strikeouts in 176.2 innings of action this season. She broke her former teammate
Katie Zaun's 166 strikeout record set last season.
Notables
- ESU was led at the plate by Jada Smallwood, who cashed in a pair of runs for the Warriors. She smacked an RBI double in the first frame to lift ESU to a 2-0 lead early.
- Maddy Pritchard also connected on an RBI, producing a run with double in the bottom of the 2nd. Reilly Vicendese also tallied an RBI double in the contest.
- Molly Nies smacked an RBI single to round out the Warrior run producers.
- In the circle, PSAC East Pitcher of the Year and NFCA All-Region First Team selection Paige Zigmund (W, 22-5) was stellar, scattering four hits and issuing a walk. She struck out 11 Bulldogs, facing just six over the minimum. She allowed just a pair of runs in the complete game victory.
- Kaitlin Houser led the Warriors with two hits against the Bulldogs.
How It Happened
- The Warriors opened te scoring in the bottom of the 1st inning, with Smallwood plating a two with a double to right center. Nies and Vicendese scored on the play.
- ESU posted its third run in its next at bats, with Pritchard smacking an RBI double to score Houser.
- In the top of the 4th, ESU added its fourth and fifth runs to grab a 5-0 lead. A Molly Nies RBI single and a Vicendese RBI double scored a pair.
- BSU got on the scoreboard in the top of the 5th. A bunt single, fielder's choice and a double steal set up Jahkya Smith with an RBI fielder's choice. An RBI single by Shanya Gordon added the second Bulldog run. Houser thew out a potential base stealer on a double steal attempt by BSU, to end the chance of an additional run touching the plate. BSU trailed 5-2 after five frames
- In the top of the 6th, Paige Zigmund struck out the side, picking up her 167th, 168th and 169th strikeout of the season to break Katie Zaun's single season record of 166 set in 2022.
- Holding a 5-2 lead, the Warriors added an unearned run by taking advantage of a fielding error for the final score of 6-2.
Up Next
- ESU will take on West Chester on Friday at 11:00 a.m. at Creekview Park's Vigon International Field. The loser of that matchup will play in an elimination game at 4:00 p.m. against the winner of Bowie State and West Virginia Wesleyan.
