BOWIE, Md. – Bowie State University softball ran into a tough East Stroudsburg team on Saturday afternoon, as the Warriors toppled the Bulldogs 9-1 and 16-4, spoiling BSU's home debut.
 
Sophomore Aseyah Alexander (Silver Spring, Md.) and freshman Kristina Hawke (New Castle, Md.) paced Bowie State (3-12) with three hits each in a combined 10 at bats over the twin bill. Freshmen Jayla Pinckney (Severn, Md.) and Amya Ferguson (Orange, Va.) tallied a pair of hits each for the Bulldogs while senior Tifany Bearns (Huntingtown, Md.) along with freshman Shanya Gordon (Elkridge, Md.) were responsible for one hit apiece in the losses.
 
The ESU Warrior offense scored in four of their five trips to the plate, including three runs in each of the first two innings. Ashley Spencer cleared the bases with a two-out, three-run double in the first, while Madison Vicendese, Kaitlyn Caleen and Mikayla Pourby drove in runs in the second as East Stroudsburg led 6-0.
 
Bowie State's lone run of game one came in the bottom of the 3rd inning following a hard-hit single to shortstop scored Alexander from third, who reached on a one-out triple to right field.
 
After a scoreless third, Spencer plated Caleen and Vicendese on a two-out single in the fourth, and redshirt freshman Marissa Govan rounded out the scoring on an RBI groundout in the following frame.
 
East Stroudsburg's Sofia Cecchin, Vicendese and Spencer also had four hits for the Warriors. Cecchin reached base in all five plate appearances, finishing the day 4-for-4 with a walk and four steals, while Spencer drove in five of the Warriors' nine runs in the opener.
 
The BSU Bulldogs started game two with a 2-0 advantage after one inning. Ferguson hit a leadoff single, advanced to second on a throwing error by ESU's second baseman and stole third. Hawke followed with a double to center, scoring Ferguson. A Gordan sac bunt pushed Hawke across the dish for the early lead.
 
With the Warriors trailing 2-0, East Stroudsburg quickly erased that deficit with a top-half of the second Bowie State probably wants to forget. Govan had a pair of two-run doubles in the frame, and MacKenzie Lewis scored two more runs on a triple to left field. ESU batted around twice, with Spencer coming to the plate three times in the inning to create a 13-2 cushion.
 
With two outs in the bottom of the 3rd inning, Bowie State's Hawke stroked a single and moved to third following a Gordon double down the left field line. Bearns recorded a two RBI double to left center, scoring Hawke and Gordon, but the Bulldogs trailed 13-4.
 
East Stroudsburg's (12-12) Caitlyn Murray drove in the final three runs on a two-out double in the fifth. Senior Angelica Dark picked up her fourth victory in the circle; she fanned four batters over five innings of work.
 
The Bulldogs will have little time to rest as Bowie State returns to the field on Sunday (3/24) hosting the Mansfield Mounties in a non-conference contest beginning at 2:30 p.m.