MIAMI SHORES, Fla. – After falling to Barry 6-3 in game one, the No. 6 East Stroudsburg University softball team closed the doubleheader and its Florida trip strong with a 5-1 victory over the Buccaneers on Monday afternoon.
The Warriors (4-4) enter their home stretch with an even .500 record. The Buccaneers are now 7-5 in 2024.
Notables
- Reilly Vicendese continued her strong start to her senior season, going 5-7 against the Buccaneers with five singles and scored three runs. She closes the trip leading ESU in batting average (.500), slugging percentage (.500), runs scored (8), total bases (14) and stolen bases (8).
- Delaney Ridgell and Denva Shaw-Tait each went 2-6 and smacked two RBIs in game two. Ridgell opened the scoring in game two with a two-RBI double.
- Maddy Pritchard smacked an RBI single in game one, finishing with two hits in the opener.
- Jada Smallwood also produced a run-in game one, smacking a sacrifice fly.
- Along with Ridgell's two-bagger, Katie Master and Shannon Edelman connected on doubles. Edelman's two-bagger increased ESU's lead to 3-0 in game two.
- Paige Zigmund (3-1) earned her third win in four starts in game two, allowing three hits and one earned run in four innings, while striking out six. She closes the trip with a 2.74 ERA, with 17 strikeouts in 23 innings, holding foes to a combined .216 batting average.
- Freshman Sarah Davenport (S, 1) picked up her first career save in relief of Zigmund, shutting the door in three scoreless innings where she allowed just two hits and a walk. She tallied three strikeouts. The Hillsborough, N.J. native lowered her ERA to 2.45 and has fired 23 strikeouts in 20 innings.
- Abbie Landrum (L, 0-2) suffered the loss in game one. She pitched four innings, allowing five hits and three earned runs (5 total), while walking four. She gave up just one extra-base hit.
- Natalie Graham (1.0 IP, 4 hits, 1 ER, 1 K) and Carley Mockenhaupt (1.0 IP, 0 hits) each made their collegiate debut in relief in game one.
How It Happened – Game One
- Barry opened the scoring in the bottom of the 1st. After a leadoff walk, a one-out single allowed the Buccaneers to score the first run of the game.
- ESU was able to knot the contest in its next at-bats. Kaitlin Houser drew a walk and later advanced to second on a wild pitch and reached third via a single. With two outs, Pritchard came up with a clutch single up the middle to tie the game at 1-1.
- With two outs in the top of the 2nd, BU was able to grab its second lead of the game. With runners on second and third, a two-RBI single brought both Buccaneers home, as BU took a 3-1 advantage.
- The Warriors cut the deficit to a single run in the top of the 5th, with Prichard leading off the inning with a single. After advancing to second with a ground out, Vicendese smacked an RBI single to score Pritchard, as ESU shrunk the BU lead to 3-2.
- The Buccaneers countered in the bottom half of the 5th with a pair of runs, with an RBI single and a sacrifice fly.
- ESU put two runners in scoring position with one out in the top of the 6th, but a pair of infield popouts thwarted the opportunity.
- BU added an insurance run in the bottom of the 6th, with a leadoff single, followed by a double.
- With ESU trailing, 6-2, the Warriors did not go down without a fight. After a leadoff groundout, Vicendese smacked a single. After an error, both Vicendese and Abigail Weirich swiped a base to put runners on second and third. Smallwood provided a sacrifice fly to score Vicendese, but a foul out would end the game in favor of Barry by a score of 6-3.
How It Happened – Game Two
- The Warriors got off to a fast start in game two, with Vicendese and Weirich each tallying one-out singles. After a strikeout, Ridgell belted a two-out double to score both Warriors on base.
- After a scoreless second inning from both teams, ESU added three runs in the top of the 3rd. Vicendese once again started a rally with a single. Edelman sent her home with a double to left field, scoring Vicendese. Maddin Grow entered the game at second base as a courtesy runner and stole third base. With Ridgell reaching first with via a hit-by-pitch, Shaw-Tait sent home both Grow and Ridgell with a two-RBI single, as the Warriors grabbed a 5-0 lead after two-and-a-half frames.
- Master smacked a leadoff double in the fourth, but three outfield flyouts would strand her at second.
- Barry avoided being shut out in the bottom of the 5th. After a leadoff single, Zigmund departed and Davenport entered the contest in relief. A walk and a bunt single loaded the bases. A single to right center accounted for the Barry run. Still without an out, Davenport forced a double play and a ground out to allow just one run in the inning.
- Davenport retired the final eight batters she faced, registering her first collegiate save in the 5-1 win.
Up Next
- After playing eight games in four days, the Warriors head back to the Poconos and are scheduled to open its home slate on Thursday, Feb. 22 against Holy Family at Creekview Park. First pitches are set for 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. in Stroudsburg.
