MARSHALL, Tex. – Senior Alyssa Vilchez (Brampton, ON) drove in two runs with a second-inning two-out single and pitched a four-hitter over the first three innings as the No. 17-ranked Eastern Connecticut State University softball team opened the season Sunday afternoon with a 3-2 win over Concordia University Texas in the first game of a doubleheader at Taylor Field on the campus of East Texas Baptist University.
 
In the second game, Eastern's (1-1) rally from six runs down early in the game fell short in a 10-5 loss to the Tornados (9-6). Heading into Sunday, Concordia was the only team to defeat No. 13-ranked host East Texas Baptist.
 
Eastern faces SUNY Oneonta Monday at 1 p.m. ET in a doubleheader at Taylor Field.
 
Eastern Conn. 3, Concordia 2
 
Eastern, which lost four All-America's from last year's 44-7  tournament qualifier, erased an early 1-0 deficit in the first game when Vilchez stroked a two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the second to put it up for good, and the Warriors made it 3-1 with an unearned run in the third on junior rightfielder Sarah Remillard's (Grafton, MA) double and a bases loaded walk to first-year second baseman and No. 9 hitter Emma Marelli (Waterford) in an inning kept alive by an infield error.
 
Vilchez, a lefty, and senior righty Carley Stoker (Sandy Creek, NY) combined on a six-hitter, with Stoker (1-0) pitching the final four scoreless innings, allowing two hits with two strikeouts and three walks. Stoker, the Little East conference Pitcher-of-the-Year as a first-year Division I transfer in 2021, improved to 22-3 all-time in her career. Vilchez walked three without a strikeout and departed with the 3-1 lead but was not in line for the decision.
 
In addition to her bases-loaded walk, Marelli had two hits and scored a run, joining Vilchez as the two Eastern players with two hits. Marelli singled through the left side with two outs in the second and helped set up Vilchez' bases-loaded two-run single.
 
In addition to Marelli, newcomers in the starting lineup were first-year catcher Maddy Bowen (Hudson, NH) and first-year sophomore transfer first baseman Ally Gruca (Lancaster, MA). Batting cleanup, Bowen walked twice and Gruca, batting sixth, walked leading off the second and scored the first run.
 
Concordia 10, Eastern Conn. 5
 
Concordia capitalized on an inning-opening error in the second inning  to score three times on freshman leadoff hitter  Mindy Matthews two-out triple and added three clinching runs in the sixth after the Warriors had cut a 7-1 deficit to two with two runs in the fourth and two in the fifth.
                                                                                                                                                  
Concordia freshman righty Krista Burg (4-0) entered the game unbeaten and with a 1.21 ERA but was touched for eight hits and five runs (four earned) before departing in the fifth.
 
Vilchez had three more hits – including a first-inning double -- in Eastern's 11-hit attack, with sophomore shortstop and No. 9 hitter Maggie Rubeck (Easthampton, MA) singling and scoring the team's first run in the third and driving in a run with another single in the fourth.
 
Sophomore righties Tori Heaphy (East Haven) and Emma Sands (Danbury) made their pitching debuts for Eastern. Heaphy (0-1) pitched into the fourth inning before giving way to Sands with one on and one out. Sands pitched two innings and Vilchez closed it out by getting the final five outs without allowing a hit.