Box Score COLUMBUS, Ga. – Six years after a ten-run loss to East Texas Baptist University that was stopped after five innings at the NFCA Leadoff Classic, the No. 6 nationally-ranked Eastern Connecticut State University softball team bounced back immediately from an opening loss to nationally-ranked Salisbury University earlier in the day with an emphatic 13-5 victory over the Tigers Friday evening at the NFCA Leadoff Classic that was halted after six innings.
 
Behind the pitching of sophomore transfer Alexis Michon (Montville) and two explosive innings, Eastern (1-1) handed East Texas (9-5) its second loss of the afternoon. The No. 4-ranked Tigers were coming off a setback to No. 17 Berry College earlier in the afternoon while Eastern was beaten by unbeaten (11-0) Salisbury in its first game of the season.
 
Eastern drove ETBU sophomore Ashley Croft from the box early by scoring eight runs on five hits in the third inning and after the Tigers got five back, the Warriors tacked on five more runs in the top of the sixth on five hits to make a winner of Michon, who was making her Eastern debut after earning Little East Conference Rookie-of-the-Year honors in 2021 at Plymouth State University. Senior Carley Stoker (Sandy Creek, NY) -- last year's LEC Pitcher-of-the-Year -- allowed one hit over the final two innings in relief of Michon, who was charged with seven hits while fanning two and walking two.
 
Stoker and senor All-America centerfielder Cassie Woods (Mystic) both homered for Eastern – the tenth of Stoker's career and second for Woods. Stoker's three-run shot highlighted the sixth inning. Woods homered leading off the eight-run third and sophomore Sarah Remillard (Grafton, MA) added a two-run pinch single in the third before Michon drove in the final two runs with a double.
                                                    
Woods reached four times with two hits and two walks and scored three runs to go along with her RBI. Senior shortstop Julia SanGiovanni (East Haven) had two hits and two RBI while senior rightfielder Alexis Tyrrell (Torrington) drove in two runs and scored two.