Game 1 Box | Game 2 Box
 
Millersville, Pa. – Danielle DiFilippo's absence from the lineup at second base for the first time this season only had an impact on Taylor Odell-Smith's position in the field, not her bat. The sophomore belted game-winning homers in back-to-back games to give Millersville an important sweep over East Stroudsburg Friday.
 
The Meriden, Conn., native was making an emergency start at shortstop instead of her usual right field position in place of DiFilippo with Wendy Wolff bumping over to second. That did not stop Odell-Smith from going a combined 2-for-4 at the dish with two homers, four RBI, three runs scored, a walk and a hit by a pitch.
 
In game one, the team's regular right fielder was not the only Marauder to leave the yard in the 4-2 win. Starting pitcher Alicia Hughes also took Warrior starter Taylor Webb deep for a solo shot in addition to her impressive outing. The junior pitched a complete game, yielding just two hits and two runs (one earned) while striking out four to boost her season record to 6-11.
 
Hughes' third homer of the year came with Millersville nursing a one-run lead in the sixth. Odell-Smith's three-run shot in the bottom of the second opened the scoring. It was all the run support Hughes would need, as she allowed just two fourth-inning runs to the Warriors.
 
In the back end of the twinbill, the Marauders needed a comeback to secure a 6-5 victory and the doubleheader sweep. The offense, which had 14 hits for its highest output of the season, picked up starter Sarah Bertoni. The freshman spotted East Stroudsburg a five-run lead before the Millersville offense exploded for five runs in the bottom half of the fourth and helping her improve her record to 7-11.
 
The rally started with a double by Hughes, who was in the lineup as the designated hitter. After two more hits, Hughes came home to score. Odell-Smith walked to load the bases. More damage in the inning came from Allison Chew, who punched a two-run single into center to cut the Warriors' lead to 5-3. The final two runs of the inning came from Ally Homa, who provided a RBI single and scored two batters later on a wild pitch.
 
Odell-Smith capped the rally and won the game for Millersville in the bottom of the sixth. For her final act of the day, she cranked a blast over the scoreboard in left field. Bertoni, who allowed five earned runs on seven hits and two walks and struck out two, slammed the door on a Warrior comeback with a clean seventh, setting down three East Stroudsburg batters in order.
 
The sweep propels the Marauders to 16-26 overall, but more importantly 5-7 in the PSAC East and comes at East Stroudsburg's expense. The Warriors had previously been in second place in the division with a 5-5 record, but fall back to the pack with the pair of losses.
 
In another PSAC East clash, West Chester and Shippensburg square off tomorrow in a matchup that is pivotal to the Marauders. Coming into today's play, both teams sat one game ahead of Millersville in the division standings at 4-6. The Golden Rams hold a tiebreaker over the Marauders after a head-to-head 3-1 season series. The Red Raiders and Millersville have split a doubleheader and play on the final day of the regular season, April 21. The Marauders now own the tiebreaker with the Warriors with a 3-1 head-to-head record this season.
 
Tomorrow, Millersville takes on Kutztown at home. The Golden Bears are 36-1 and 8-0 in PSAC East play. The Marauders dropped both games of a doubleheader at Kutztown earlier this season. First pitch of tomorrow's double dip is slated for 1 p.m.