STROUDSBURG – In the 2024 home regular-season finale, the 15th-ranked East Stroudsburg University softball team claimed its second consecutive PSAC East Regular Season Championship with a sweep of Bloomsburg (7-1, 4-0) on Friday afternoon at Creekview Park's Vigon International Field.
With the sweep, the Warriors (40-12, 22-8 PSAC East) reach the 40-win milestone for the second consecutive season and just the second time in program history, along with earning the top seed from the PSAC East in the upcoming PSAC Tournament. The Huskies (29-20,16-14 PSAC East) are now tied for fifth-place with Millersville.
In game one, ESU third baseman
Reilly Vicendese became the Warriors' all-time RBIs leader, smacking an RBI ground out in the bottom of the 6th inning in game one.
Pitching Notables
- Paige Zigmund (W, 18-6) and Sarah Davenport (W, 21-5) (S, 7) combined to allow just one earned run in 14 innings of work. The two conceded just 11 hits (1 extra-base hit) and held the Huskies to bat just .220 on the day. The dynamic duo struck out 14 batters and walked three.
- Zigmund started both games, earning the win in game one. She tossed 4.1 innings, allowing four hits and one earned run, conceding just three singles and a double. Davenport entered in relief and allowed jut two singles in 2.1 innings of work, while striking out five batters.
- In game two, Zigmund pitched three scoreless innings, allowing just two singles, while issuing a pair of walks and striking out three Huskies. Davenport pitched the final four frames, striking out five while walking one. She conceded just three hits in her 21st victory of the season.
Batting Notables
- The Warriors showed off its balance offensively, with eight Warriors recording an RBI on the day.
- Katie Master (4-5, 2B, HR) and Delaney Ridgell (4-6, HR, 3 runs) each connected on a home run. Master's home run is her ninth of the season, which tied her with Jen Veronesi (2006) for the second most home runs in a single season. Only Alicea Ashe (10, 2010) has blasted more home runs in a single season.
- Taylor Lipkins (3-7, 3B, BB, 1-2 SB) belted three hits including a triple.
- Denva Shaw-Tait (2-6, 2 RBI) led the Warriors with two runs batted in.
- Shannon Edleman (2-5, BB, RBI), Kaitlin Houser (2-6, RBI), Abigail Weirich (2-7, RBI, 2 runs) also smacked two hits.
Another Record Shattered: Vicendese, who already broke ESU's career record for runs and hits earlier this season, became the Warriors' all-time RBIs leader with her 106th run batted in in her career. She breaks her former teammate Ashley Spencer's mark of 105, which was set in 2022. She is on the cusp of one additional career record in stolen bases. Vicendese needs just three swipes to overtake Kaylee Hazewski (104, 2017-20) atop the record book.
Back-to-Back: After sharing the PSAC Regular Season Championship with West Chester a season ago, the Warriors secured their first sole PSAC East Regular Season Championship in program history with its 22nd conference win of the season.
40 Dubs: For the second consecutive season and just the second time in program history, the Warriors have reached the 40-win threshold. ESU is approaching its single-season win record of 44 (44-19) set in 2023 at the NCAA Softball Championships. The squad has matched or set a new program record for wins in a season in each of the previous three seasons, matching its 2007 record of 29 wins in 2021, while shattering the record in 2022 (34-11) and 2023 (44-19).
Creekview Magic: ESU closed the regular season with a remarkable 26-2 record at Creekview Park's Vigon International Field. The Warriors have won 11 consecutive home contests, last falling in the Poconos in game one against Shippensburg in extra innings on March 24th. The Warriors have outscored the opposition 158-48 at home in 2024. Since 2021, ESU holds a home record of 86-14 when playing in Stroudsburg.
How It Happened – Game 1
- The Warriors registered the first hit and run of the game in the bottom of the 2nd, with Ridgell blasting a one-out solo home run to right center field.
- ESU added insurance in the bottom of the 4th, tacking on three runs on four hits and two Bloomsburg errors. Edelman sent an RBI single to left field to score the first run. An obstruction call allowed pinch-runner Jade Hassler to score the Warriors' third run. Jada Smallwood rounded out the scoring in the frame with a sacrifice fly as a pinch-hitter.
- After a one-out double and a two-out single put runners on the corner, Davenport entered the game in relief. She gave up a single, which allowed the first run to score, but fired a strikeout for the final out in the inning. ESU led 4-1 after the top of the 5th.
- The Warriors responded instantly with two runs in the bottom of the 5th. Back-to-back RBI singles by Shaw-Tait and Edelman lifted ESU to a 6-1 edge after five innings.
- Vicendese wrapped the scoring in the bottom of the 6th inning, with Lipkins reaching third base on a triple with one out. Vicendese broke the career RBI record with a ground out for the final score of 7-1.
- Davenport retired the final six batters she faced to record her 7th save of the season.
How It Happened – Game 2
- Game two of the twin bill remained scoreless for the first three and-a-half innings. ESU broke the tie in the bottom of the 4th. A single by Weirich, followed by a stolen base and a ground out advanced the left fielder to third base. Shaw-Tait sent a two-out RBI single to left field to lift ESU to a 1-0 edge after four innings.
- After a single and two ground outs, Bloomsburg loaded the bases with a single and walk. Davenport was able to force a flyout to right field.
- Master lifted the Warriors to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the 5th with a one-out solo home run that went over the batter's eye in center field. The Warriors weren't done, with Weirich recording an RBI single. ESU scored its fourth run on an error by the Bloomsburg shortstop to round out the runs.
- Davenport allowed a two-out single in the top of the 7th, but tossed her third strikeout in the inning to pick up her 21st win of the season.
Coming Up
- The Warriors close the regular season on Sunday at Noon and 2:00 p.m. against Lock Haven. ESU has secured the top seed in the PSAC East in the PSAC Tournament, which begins on Wed., May 1 at Quakertown's Veterans Park.
- ESU will play the winner of the fourth seed in the PSAC West and the fifth-seed in the PSAC West at 3:00 p.m. on May 1 in its first game of the conference tournament.
