Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks website

GARY, Ind. - Brian Ernst, who pitched East Stroudsburg University to the PSAC baseball championship in May, threw his first career complete game and set career-highs with 8.0 innings and seven strikeouts, but the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks fell 3-1 to the Gary SouthShore Railcats in Friday night's American Association playoff game.

The RedHawks trail Gary, 2-1, in the best-of-five semifinal series, which will conclude Saturday or Sunday.

If Friday night's start is Ernst's final appearance of the summer, he left on an extremely high note. Ernst retired 16 of the final 17 batters he faced, including the last 11, from the final out of the third inning through the last out of the eighth.

The RailCats struck for three runs (two earned) in the bottom of the first after Fargo-Moorhead opened the game with a leadoff homer. That would be the only scoring as Billy Spottiswood threw a complete game three-hitter for Gary.

Ernst made his 14th start of the summer for Fargo-Moorhead, falling to 7-3 while lowering his ERA to 4.14. He has pitched 84.2 innings, allowing 82 hits with 52 strikeouts and 33 walks. He had won his previous four starts down the stretch as the RedHawks claimed the American Association North Division title.

Ernst went over the 150-inning mark for the year, totaling 151.1 innings between his work at ESU (66.2 IP) and the independent league.

For the Warriors, Ernst was 5-2 with a 2.70 ERA, 88 strikeouts, 31 walks and 50 hits allowed as a senior.

He was the MVP of ESU's first PSAC championship since 1971, throwing 8.0 innings without an earned run on two days rest in the Warriors' 7-1 win over West Chester in the title game.

Ernst, also an outstanding offensive player and first baseman, is the only player in PSAC history with both 200 hits and 200 strikeouts in his career - finishing with 201 in both categories. He ranks in ESU's career top 10 in 16 categories - nine pitching, and seven offensive.

He was a three-time All-PSAC East and two-time All-Region selection and was a semifinalist for the Josh Willingham Award (Division II's MVP) as a senior.


BRIAN ERNST for Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks

June 15 vs. Gary (W 4-3) - no-decision, 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 hits, 2 strikeouts, 2 walks
June 20 at New Jersey (W 5-1) - win, 6.1 IP, 1 ER, 7 hits, 5 strikeouts, 0 walks, 1 HBP
June 25 at Newark (W 11-4) - win, 7.0 IP, 3 ER, 8 hits, 1 strikeout, 1 walk
July 2 at Lincoln (W 11-2) - no-decision, 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 hits, 2 strikeouts, 4 walks, 1 HBP
July 7 vs. Sioux City (L 4-6) - loss, 5.2 IP, 6 ER, 7 hits, 2 strikeouts, 2 walks
July 13 at Gary (W 4-1) - win, 5.2 IP, 1 ER, 4 hits, 2 strikeouts, 4 walks
July 18 at Sioux City (L 2-3) - no-decision, 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 hits, 6 strikeouts, 2 walks, 1 HBP
July 24 vs. St. Paul (L 6-7) - no-decision, 6.0 IP, 4 ER, 3 hits, 5 strikeouts, 4 walks, 1 HBP
July 30 at St. Paul (L 1-11) - loss, 5.0 IP, 9 ER, 14 hits, 3 strikeouts, 4 walks
August 11 at Kansas City (W 4-2) - win, 5.1 IP, 1 ER, 5 hits, 4 strikeouts, 4 walks, 1 HBP
August 16 at Wichita (W 5-4) - win, 5.2 IP, 2 ER, 7 hits, 4 strikeouts, 2 walks, 1 HBP
August 23 vs. Kansas City (W 5-4) - win, 7.0 IP, 4 ER, 5 hits, 5 strikeouts, 1 walk
August 29 vs. Amarillo (W 9-3) - win, 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 6 hits, 4 strikeouts, 2 walks
September 6 at Gary (L 1-3) - loss, 8.0 IP (complete game), 2 ER, 5 hits, 7 strikeouts, 1 walk