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Related:
Sunday - W 5-2 vs. Seton Hill (Festa CG)
Monday - L 15-8 vs. No. 1 Millersville

Updated ESU season/career records (PDF)

BUTLER, Pa. - Seton Hill used a four-run eighth inning to push past East Stroudsburg University for a 9-6 win, knocking the Warriors out of the 2016 PSAC Baseball Tournament on Tuesday morning at Kelly Automotive Park.

ESU (36-16) will await the announcement of the NCAA Division II Tournament field on Sunday night on ncaa.com.

The Warriors were listed No. 4 in last week's regional rankings, with the region's three conference tournament champions (CIAA - Chowan, PSAC and Mountain East yet to be decided) earning automatic bids, along with four at-large spots. This week's rankings (including games through Sunday) will be released Wednesday.

ESU opened the tournament with a 5-2 win vs. Seton Hill on Sunday morning behind a complete game from redshirt senior Matt Festa, the PSAC East Co-Pitcher of the Year (9.0 IP, 2 runs, 5 hits, 9 strikeouts, 0 walks) and fell 15-8 to No. 1 Millersville on Monday.

Junior left-hander Ian Allen, making his first appearance on the mound since March 19, went 7.0 innings and allowed five runs on 10 hits, struck out nine and walked one in a strong pitching performance for the Warriors.

Seton Hill (38-15) scored four runs on four hits and had a hit batter in the eighth after the Warriors took a 6-5 lead in the top half of the inning.

Redshirt junior OF Robert Bennie, the PSAC East Athlete of the Year, was 2-for-2 with two walks, an HBP, three stolen bases, a double and a run; sophomore DH Christian Rishel was 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run; and sophomore catcher Steven Zimmerman, Jr. was 2-for-4 with a walk and two RBI to lead the Warriors offensively

Allen, a preseason NCBWA All-America third team utility selection as a pitcher and outfielder, made his fifth start of the season and first since throwing 3.1 innings in an 11-8 win at Bloomsburg on March 19. He was named the All-PSAC East first team utility player, starting all 52 games offensively and hitting .311 with 42 walks, 16 extra-base hits, 29 RBI, 51 runs and a school-record 35 stolen bases.

Seton Hill had 14 hits, drew one walk and two HBP while scoring in five of their eight innings on offense.  Zac Heide and Anthony Fanelli both had three hits in the No. 3 and No. 4 spots in the order.

The Griffins struck first, getting a two-out RBI single by Mark Colella in the first inning after the Warriors left two runners on base in the top half.

Allen stranded a leadoff double on third base in the second, and ESU scored its first run in the third as redshirt junior 2B Jay Young hit a leadoff single, Bennie doubled and Allen lifted a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 1-1.

Seton Hill took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the third on a leadoff double by Chris Miller, a sacrifice fly by Heide and a solo homer by Fanelli.

The Warriors bounced right back with a three-run fourth to go ahead 4-3. Redshirt senior 1B Matt Walewski and Rishel singled and redshirt junior OF Casey Saverio walked to load the bases, followed by a two-RBI single by Zimmerman and a sacrifice fly by Young.

ESU extended its lead to 5-3 in the fifth with a pair walks by redshirt junior SS Conner Crookham and redshirt senior 3B Drew Hercik leading to two-out RBI single by Rishel.

The Warriors had opportunities to add to their lead, loading the bases in both the sixth and seventh innings, but couldn't push a run across and Seton Hill tied it with two leadoff solo home runs - by Colella in the sixth and Garrett Vrbanic in the seventh - to knot the game at 5-5.

ESU took a 6-5 lead in the top of the eighth as Bennie singled, stole second and scored on an RBI single by Allen.

But the Griffins responded with four runs in the bottom of the eighth, getting a one-out RBI single by Vrbanic to tie it, a go-ahead fielders choice RBI by Matt Malacane on a potential double-play ball and RBI singles by Heide and Fanelli, both with two outs.

Jesse Cooper, the last of four Seton Hill pitchers, threw a 1-2-3 ninth inning to earn his third save of the season.

Jordan Fuller (3.1 IP, 4 runs, 5 hits) started for Seton Hill, followed by Kevin Neumann (2.0 IP, 1 run, 2 hits) and Joe Shaffer (2.2 IP, 1 run, 3 hits), who earned the win in relief.

Seton Hill advances to play West Chester (2-0 in Butler) on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. The Griffins advanced Monday with a 6-1 win vs. California in the losers bracket after falling 5-2 to ESU on Sunday.

Millersville (2-0), Mercyhurst (1-1) and Gannon (1-1) also remain alive in the tournament.

ESU falls to 8-4 in PSAC Tournament games in the last four seasons, winning the 2013 PSAC title (going 4-0 in Johnstown) and finishing as runner-up in 2015 (going 3-2 in Butler).

The Warriors made their fifth PSAC Tournament appearance in the last seven years (since 2000).

ESU will look for its third NCAA DII Tournament appearance in six seasons when the NCAA field is announced on Sunday night. The Warriors qualified as an at-large selection in 2011 (finishing third in the region) and earned the PSAC's automatic bid in 2013.

GAME NOTES

* ESU's offensive leaders in Butler (3 games):
Steven Zimmerman, Jr. - 8-for-14, double, triple, HBP, 2 RBI, 3 runs
Jay Young - 5-for-10, walk, sac fly, sac bunt, 5 RBI, 2 runs
Robert Bennie - 5-for-11, double, 3 walks, HBP, sac fly, 4-for-5 SB, 2 RBI, 2 runs
Christian Rishel - 6-for-14, HBP, RBI, 4 runs
Ian Allen - 3-for-9, double, 6 walks, sac fly, 2-for-2 SB, 4 RBI