MARSHALL, Tex. – In a battle of nationally-ranked teams, No. 8 East Texas Baptist University broke open a tight game by scoring nine runs in its last six at-bats to complete a sweep of No. 17 Eastern Connecticut State University with a 10-2, six-inning win in the second game of a softball doubleheader at ETBU's Taylor Field.

In the first game, senior Ashley Croft pitched a complete-game five-hitter to improve to 8-0, and East Texas (16-1) scored the final six runs of the game in a 7-3 first-game victory.

Eastern (5-5) was swept for the only time on the trip while ETBU extended its win streak to 12 with the sweep.

In the doubleheader, senior Carley Stoker (Sandy Creek, NY) and first-year player Emma Marelli (Waterford) each had three hits. Stoker doubled and tripled and also pitched in relief in both games, striking our four and walking one and allowing two earned runs on seven hits.

Senior Taylor Darby (South Windsor) reached four times with three walks and her first home run.

On the trip, Stoker appeared in eight of ten games on the mound – all in relief. She won three of the team's games and saved another with a 1.45 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 19 1/3 innings. She also led the team with a .357 batting average. Senior Alyssa Vilchez (Brampton, ON) was 2-2 on the mound, starting five of the seven games in which she appeared. She followed Stoker with a .345 batting average and led the team with seven RBI and a .472 on-base percentage, walking a team-high seven times. Sophomore Tori Heaphy (East Haven), junior Sarah Remillard (Grafton, MA) and senior Julia SanGiovanni (East Haven) also finished over .300, at .316, .313 and .310, respectively. Heaphy also started half of the team's games on the mound.

Stoker and sophomore Maggie Baker (Hudson, MA) each stole four bases in five tries but opponents swiped 29 of 31, in all.

Eastern hosts Springfield College in its northern and home-openers with a 3 p.m. non-conference doubleheader Thursday at Clyde Washburne Field.