Mehki Williams
Sports Editor
The ESU Women’s Softball Team kicked off their season last Friday in the Sunshine State with matchups against Lynn University, Palm Beach Atlantic University, and Nova Southeastern University.
It took ESU no time to make their presence known by defeating Lynn 6-0 in their season-opening doubleheader. Paige Zigmund held Lynn to a (.130) batting average. She struck out six in the contest. Jada Smallwood recorded three singles against Lynn, finishing the day going 3-4 to go along with three RBIs.
The Warriors split the season-opening doubleheader, with Lynn dropping game two, 2-0.
ESU continued the weekend of games on Saturday in beautiful weather, determined to secure wins against a competitive Palm Beach Atlantic team.
That’s exactly what the Warriors did, sweeping Palm Beach Atlantic and only allowing three runs over the course of two games. ESU defeated the Sailfish 4-0 and 6-3 on Saturday at Simpson Field.
Abigail Weirich opened the scoring in game one with a crucial RBI double. She batted (.375) with three hits on the day.
Paige Zigmund, the reigning PSAC East Pitcher of the Year, threw a complete game shutout in game one. Zigmund is picking right where she left off last season with a remarkable start this year. She struck out three and only allowed singles in the outing.
The sailfish entered game two, 0-1, determined to find a rhythm and win.
Momentum was on ESU’s side from the start of the second game, but the Sailfish found themselves behind early. Jada Smallwood’s heroic efforts led the Warriors on the offensive side. She registered three RBIs and two hits.
Sarah Davenport displayed immense potential and picked up her first collegiate win on Saturday. She allowed only two hits over four innings in game two. She struck out 11 batters in only her second appearance to earn her first win.
Abbie Landrum made her debut, starting game two. She showed promise, forcing a groundout and a flyout in her first outing. Landrum allowed four hits and three earned runs in two innings.
ESU faced off against Nova Southeastern on Sunday in a rematch of the 2023 NCAA Softball Championships.
The Warriors were battle tested in the anticipated matchup with Nova Southeastern. East Stroudsburg dropped both games to NSU despite displaying determination and standout performances on both offense and defense. NSU defeated ESU 9-1 in game one and 5-4 in game two.
Despite huge contributions from Denva Shaw-Tait, Kaitlin Houser, and Shannon Harvey on offense, it wasn’t enough to cut the deficit against a stout Nova Southeastern defense.
In game two, the Warriors offense struck first, taking the lead at the top of the 1st. Jada Smallwood smacked a two-RBI with runners on second and third-base that led to two runs.
In the top of the third, ESU led by two runs, and Abigail Weirich registered a leadoff triple. A series of errors by ESU in the 4th inning contributed to NSU’s comeback. An RBI single in centerfield gave the Sharks the win.
After dropping two losses against Nova Southeastern, the ESU Warriors looked to close the season-opening trip on Monday in style as they battled Barry.
In game one, ESU lost 6-3 to Barry; in game two, the Warriors beat Barry 5-1 to close out their Florida trip.
Reilly Vicendese leads the team in batting average (.500). She went 5-7 against the Buccaneers, recording five singles and scoring three runs.
ESU’s scoring came in at the top of the third. Vicendese and Edelman opened the inning with two hits.
Zigmund allowed three hits and only one earned run in four innings to pick up her third win of the season.
The Warriors return home on Thursday, Feb. 22, against Holy Family at Creekview Park.
Email Mehki at:
mwillia118@live.esu.edu