Stroudsburg, Pa. - Eliana Raposo's home run and Sarah Clancy's four-hit pitching was not enough in St. Thomas Aquinas College's hard-fought 2-1 loss to East Stroudsburg University today in the first game of a non-conference softball doubleheader at Creekview Park. ESU won the second game, 8-2.

 

East Stroudsburg, which was ranked sixth in the preseason Division II national poll, increased its record to 8-4 while STAC fell to 2-6.

 

Clancy surrendered single runs in the first and second innings before allowing just one hit over the final four innings. The right-hander retired nine consecutive batters at one point. Elyse Marcano (second base) and Olivia Leon (catcher) sparkled defensively. Raposo's homer to center field was the only blemish off of winning pitcher Paige Zigmund, who allowed only three hits and struck out seven.

 

In the second game, ESU broke up a 4-2 game with four runs in the sixth inning that was keyed by Katie Master's two-run homer. Marcano tripled and scored, and drove in STAC's other run with a single. Aliya Feerick scored the team's other run and added a single.   

 

STAC next embarks on an eight-game Florida trip beginning on March 8 with games against Concordia-St. Paul (9 a.m.) and Southern New Hampshire (11:15 a.m.).