STROUDSBURG – A fast start by the East Stroudsburg University softball team offensively, along with a dominant performance in the circle by
Paige Zigmund led the No. 1 seed Warriors past No. 4 seed West Chester, 8-0, in game three of the NCAA Atlantic Regional at Creekview Park's Vigon International Field.
With the win, the Warriors (40-16) advance to the regional final on Saturday at 11:00 a.m., while the Golden Rams (37-18) will now play in game five on Friday at 4:00 p.m.
Notables
- Six Warriors contributed RBIs in the explosive start that saw ESU post seven runs in its first three innings. Reilly Vicendese recorded a pair of RBIs on two hits, while Brooke McKeown, Molly Nies, Jada Smallwood, Abigail Weirich, Denva Shaw-Tait and Kate Donaghue each producing a run.
- ESU scored three runs in each of the first two frames, before adding a single run in the bottom of the 3rd. With the bases loaded in the bottom of the fifth holding a 7-0 lead, WCU issued a game-ending walk to reach the eight-run threshold and end the game after five innings.
- PSAC East Pitcher of the Year and NFCA All-Region First Team pitcher Paige Zigmund (W, 23-5) picked up her 23rd win of the season by scattering three hits in the five-inning outing. She struck out five Golden Rams without issuing a walk. She faced just two over the minimum.
- In her first two career NCAA Tournament games, Zigmund holds a 1.17 ERA, while striking out 16 and issuing just one walk. She's held opponents to a .167 batting average while allowing just seven hits in 12 innings of work.
- Vicendese and Smallwood each have three RBIs in the two NCAA games, while Houser leads the team with a .600 batting average.
- ESU's offense posted 11 hits compared to three from WCU.
How It Happened
- After Zigmund stranded a runner on second in the top of the 1st, ESU jumped to a 3-0 lead in the first inning. McKeown reached on a single and came around to score on a Nies single and an error by the WCU centerfielder allowed McKeown to score the first run. ESU's potent lineup continued to score runs, with Vicendese smacking an RBI single to score Vicendese. Denva Shaw-Tait followed later in the frame with an RBI single to score the third run of the contest.
- The Warriors bats continued to stay hot in the second, doubling its lead to 6-0. Wright and Pritchard singled to leadoff the inning. After a groundout, a walk loaded the bases for Vicendese, who delivered an infield hit to score Pritchard. A groundout from Smallwood allowed another run to score to increase the lead to 5-0. ESU's sixth run came on a fielder's choice off the bat of Weirich.
- In the third, ESU increased its lead to seven. A one-out double from Houser and a groundout from Pritchard setup pinch-hitter Kate Donaghue with a base knock to increase the Warriors' lead to 7-0.
- In the fifth, the Warriors were able to end the game early, after starting the half inning with singles from Weirich and Shaw-Tait. Houser bunted the eventual game-winning run to third. After a Lexi Wright walk, McKeown earned a free pass for the eight and final run.
Up Next
- With the win, ESU advances to the regional final on Saturday against the winner of game five's elimination game.
