SALEM, Va. – The Edinboro University softball team rang in the new season with a victory, scoring a 5-4 win over Bowie State in an early afternoon contest. The Fighting Scots held a 5-2 lead in the top of the fifth in the nightcap over Davis & Elkins prior to a lighting malfunction causing the game to be suspended until tomorrow morning. The 1-0 Fighting Scots will play out the conclusion of the contest tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. looking to snap Davis & Elkins' five-game winning streak.
Head coach
Dan Gierlak's squad has a busy day tomorrow after finishing the suspended contest. The Fighting Scots take on Salem International at noon, Chowan at 2 p.m. and conclude with West Liberty at 4 p.m.
Game One – Edinboro 5, Bowie State 4
It didn't take the Fighting Scots long to record their first run of the season, striking first in the bottom of the opening inning to take a 1-0 lead. Following a
Theresa Fleckenstein double to deep left center, sophomore
Olivia Jankowski delivered a double of her own to score the senior.
Bowie State responded two innings later, scoring three runs in the top of the third to take a 3-1 lead.
Not to be outdone, the Fighting Scots put together a three-run inning of their own in the bottom half of the third to retake the lead at 4-3. Sophomore
Danna Heh got things started with a single before stealing second and third. Heh was able to come across on a wild pitch to cut the deficit to 3-2. Senior
Brooke Callaghan doubled to right and took third on the throw to set up Jankowski's second RBI of the contest, a single back up the middle. Jankowski stole second and senior
Heather Tighe drove her in with a single to give the Fighting Scots the 4-3 lead.
Bowie State brought in an unearned run in the top of the fifth to knot the game up at 4-4, but again the Fighting Scots answered right back with Tighe's second RBI of the game, again scoring Jankowski in what proved to be the winning run.
Kalet Lenart (1-0) earned the win in relief duty, pitching 4.1 strong innings to open the season. The senior gave up just one hit and one unearned run, while striking out four batters.
Stefanie Ray (2-3) took the loss for Bowie State as they fell to 2-7 on the season.
Jankowski and Tighe both finished with two RBIs. Jankowski was 2-for-2 with a double and a pair of stolen bases, while Tighe was 2-for-3 with a pair of singles. Heh also stole two bases in the contest.
Game Two – Edinboro 5, Davis & Elkins 2 (SUSPENDED IN TOP OF FIFTH)
The Fighting Scots once again struck first in the nightcap following a Heh leadoff single. Fleckenstein advanced Heh to second with a bunt and she reached third on the throw setting up a Callaghan RBI single through the right side.
Davis & Elkins took the lead in the bottom of the second at 2-1 following a two-run inning, but it didn't last for long. A Fleckenstein RBI double followed by Callaghan reaching on a fielder's choice led to the first Fighting Scot home run of the season. Jankowski did the honors courtesy of a deep shot to straight away center to give Edinboro the lead at 5-2.
The score remained in favor of Edinboro when a light malfunction caused the game to be suspended until tomorrow morning.
Amanda Metz received the start in the contest, pitching 4.0 innings with five hits, two runs, and a pair of strikeouts before the suspension.
The contest will be resumed tomorrow morning at 9 a.m.
