BOCA RATON, Fla. – The No. 6 East Stroudsburg University softball team opened 2024 with a doubleheader split with Lynn, defeating the Fighting Knights 6-0 in game one, while falling 2-0 in game two on Friday afternoon at Lynn University Softball Field.
The Warriors begin the 2024 campaign and its Florida trip with a 1-1 record. The Fighting Knights are now 3-5 on the season.
Notables
- Jada Smallwood smacked three singles in game one, going 3-4 from the plate with three RBIs.
- Reilly Vicendese completed the day with three hits in seven at bats, successfully stealing three bases on three attempts. She scored a pair of runs during game one.
- Kate Donaghue and Kaitlin Houser each provided two hits, with Houser providing an RBI in game one.
- NFCA All-Region First Team and PSAC East Pitcher of the Year Paige Zigmund (W, 1-0) picked up where she left off, tossing a three-hit shutout against the Fighting Knights. She struck out six, while walking a pair, holding Lynn to a .130 batting average.
- In her collegiate debut, freshman Sarah Davenport (L, 0-1) allowed just two earned runs in six innings of work. She allowed seven hits. While striking out three and walking just one.
- In a combined 13 innings of work to start the season, Zigmund and Davenport combined for nine strikeouts, a 1.08 ERA and a .213 batting average against.
How It Happened – Game 1
- After Taylor Lipkins walked in her first plate appearance at ESU, the Georgian Court transfer advanced to second after a ground out and then stole third base. With two outs, Smallwood smacked her first RBI of the season with a single, as ESU grabbed a 1-0 lead.
- Zigmund allowed a one-out double but got out of the frame without damage with her first strikeout of the season and forced a popout.
- ESU extended its advantage to three in the top of the 2nd. Shaw-Tait started the one-out rally with a single. With two outs, Harvey smacked a ball to left field, as two Fighting Knights outfielders collided. Harvey and courtesy runner Holly Soto were able to cross the plate for the inside-the-park two-run home run.
- After the Knights went down in order in the bottom of the 2nd, ESU padded its lead to five. Vicendese smacked her first single of the season with one out and advanced to third on an error by the first baseman. With runners on the corner, Smallwood provided insurance with a two-run RBI single to score Vicendese and Weirich. Houser followed with an RBI single to score Weirich, as ESU grabbed a 5-0 lead after two-and-a-half innings.
- With Zigmund controlling the game, the Warriors added run in the top of the 7th. Vicendese opened the frame with a single and then stole second and third. When she stole third base, Vicendese scored on an errant throw, to wrap up the scoring.
- After allowing just her third hit of the afternoon to lead off the seventh, Zigmund forced a fielder's choice, strikeout and grounder to close the contest.
How It Happened – Game 2
- Davenport and Lynn's Madison Prickett impressed in the circle throughout game two. East Stroudsburg threatened to score in the top of the 3rd, as Donaghue led the inning off with a single. Donaghue stole second with two outs and advanced to third on a single by Lipkins, but both runners would be stranded.
- Lynn scored its first run in the bottom of the 3rd. With runners on second and third, a bunt single allowed the first runner of the contest to score with one out.
- Davenport got out of danger in the bottom of the 5th with a one-out triple, forcing a popout and groundout to keep the game 1-0.
- Vicendese smacked a two-out single and stole second in the top of the 6th, but a ground out thwarted a chance to score.
- A solo home run by Teagan Riley expanded the Knights' lead to 2-0 in the bottom of the 6th.
- With just three outs remaining, Prickett set down the side in order to preserve the split for LU.
Up Next
- ESU heads 30 minutes north to West Palm Beach to face Palm Beach Atlantic on Saturday morning. The Warriors and Sailfish are scheduled to begin game one at 10:00 a.m., with game two set for noon.
