KUTZTOWN - Junior Ali Hale drove in the game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth, and pitcher Kristen Halvorsen threw her seventh shutout of the season as East Stroudsburg University defeated Edinboro 1-0 in the first round of the PSAC Softball Tournament on Thursday afternoon.

The Warriors, the third seed in the East, advance to play the East's top seed and tournament host Kutztown at 4:30 p.m. ESU is making its first appearance in the PSAC Tournament since 1981.

Halvorsen gave up seven hits, struck out five and issued three walks for ESU. She pitched out of a bases loaded, nobody out situation in the fifth, and then got out of another bases loaded situation in the seventh to give the Warriors a chance to take the game into extra innings.

Candice Pastor led off the bottom of the eighth with a double for ESU and was lifted for Laura Snyder, who entered as a pinch runner. Shannon Deitrich laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance Snyder to third, and Hale followed with a shot to the gap in left-center to give ESU the victory.

The result of this afternoon's match-up with Kutztown will be posted as soon as possible following the game.