East Stroudsburg Spoils Bowie State Lady Bulldogs’ Home Opener

BOWIE, Md. - The Bowie State University softball team made their home debut on Tuesday afternoon and played great defense, but East Stroudsburg University claimed a doubleheader win by scores of 4-0 and 5-2 in non-conference action.

Bowie State (2-8) was led by freshman Nicoleen Ochoa (Madison, Ohio) with three hits in seven at bats over the two-game set.

The Warriors of East Stroudsburg used a three-hit, third inning to break a scoreless tie and take a 2-0 advantage. Katherine Liedberg led off the third with a double followed by a single up the middle by Mary Wallick, advancing Liedberg to third. Kasey Meckles stepped up and hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Leidberg. A Cara McNeil single pushed Wallick across the dish for the Warriors second run of the contest.

East Stroudsburg (7-4) added a run in the 5^th inning and another run in the 7^th to account for the 4-0 decision in the opening game of the afternoon. Wallick paced the Warriors with three hits while McNeil, Rae Holden and Jamie Smith contributed a pair of hits in the game one victory.

Ochoa took the loss in game one, allowing 12 hits, struck out four and was responsible for Bowie State’s only two hits. Rachael Liguori threw a two-hit shutout to earn the win in the circle.

In the nightcap, East Stroudsburg lit up the scoreboard first in the top of the 1^st inning. McNeil tripled down the right field line for the Warriors first hit of game time, scoring Meckes who reached on a fielder’s choice.

Bowie State scored their first home field points of the season in the bottom of the 2^nd inning. Freshman Jacqueline Pickering (Bowie, Md.) reached via a base on balls and later scored following a bunt single by senior Cassandra Clayborne (Damascus, Md.) to tie the game a 1-all.

The visitors from East Stroudsburg added two runs in the top of the third inning on three hits to take a 3-1 advantage. The big hit of the inning was a one-out triple by Meckes.

The Lady Bulldogs trimmed their deficit to 3-2 in the bottom of the third. Ochoa opened the frame with a single and stole second to get into scoring position. Freshman Emily Lewis (Aberdeen, Md.) grounded out to first, advancing Ochoa to third. Junior Caitlin O’Neill (Elkton, Md.) stepped up and singled through the left side of the Warriors infield, scoring Ochoa.

The score remained 3-2 until the top of the sixth, when Haley Thomas hit a one-out homer to right center to extend the lead. The Warriors added another run in the seventh on an RBI groundout by Meckes.

Allison Mende got the win in relief win for East Stroudsburg, throwing 4.2 shutout innings and allowing just three hits.

Bowie State’s O’Neill took the loss in the circle, giving up nine hits.

The Lady Bulldogs open conference play on Friday (3/20) against Fayetteville State University at 2 pm in Raleigh (N.C.) as part of the CIAA Round-Up at Walnut Creek Softball Complex.