Box Scores
Bloomsburg, L 9-0
Lock Haven, W 16-5
HAMPTON, Va. - The East Stroudsburg University baseball program is off to a 4-1 start for the first time since the 1998 season after splitting a pair of games on Friday at the Builder Invitational hosted by the Apprentice School.
The Warriors beat Lock Haven 16-5 on Friday afternoon after dropping a 9-0 decision to Bloomsburg in the morning. ESU swept a three-game series at Virginia State last weekend for the program's first 3-0 start since 1979.
Senior DH Chris Zsenak was 6-for-9 at the plate for the day, including a 4-for-5 effort with three runs and two RBI in the win over Lock Haven. Senior 1B Mark Angelo and senior OF Kevin Thompson both hit their first home runs of the season for the Warriors in the victory.
In the opener, Vinny Voorhees and Chris Carter combined on the shutout for Bloomsburg, which used a home run by Carlos Medina and an ESU error to score four runs in the second inning, then pushed across single runs in the fifth and sixth to widen the margin.
Junior Jeremy Gigliotti gave up six runs (four earned) and struck out eight in six innings for ESU. Zsenak was 2-for-4 with a double and junior 3B Anthony Clemens went 1-for-2 with a pair of walks, but ESU was 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position.
The Warriors turned things around dramatically in the second game, which was scheduled to go nine innings but ended in the seventh due to the 10-run rule. ESU went ahead 1-0 in the first on an RBI single by Zsenak that scored senior OF Mike Bortz, then exploded for five runs, all with two outs, in the third.
Angelo started the rally with a two-out walk, stole second and scored on a base hit by Zsenak. Thompson followed with a single, junior OF John Pisker walked to load the bases and freshman 2B Ryan Guarino collected the first two RBI of his career with a single to left field. Sophomore C Bryce Muth scored two more runs with a base hit and the Warriors ended the inning with a 6-0 lead.
ESU went ahead 14-0 with eight more runs in the fifth inning, including six with two outs. Pisker cracked an RBI double and Muth had a sacrifice fly to score the first two runs before a Lock Haven error opened the floodgates. Angelo capitalized with a three-run homer and Thompson went deep after a double by Zsenak as the Warriors sent 12 men to the plate in the frame.
Thompson was 3-for-4 with three runs and drove in two and also collected his 20th career hit by pitch. Guarino and Muth both enjoyed two-hit games, and Bortz and Angelo both scored twice from the top of the order.
Senior left-hander Jason Colletti had one of the top starts of his career, tying his career-high with seven strikeouts while giving up one run in five innings. Freshmen Paul Glenn and Chad Jacobson closed the game on the mound. Glenn and senior Bill Hezel both saw work in the first game of the day.
ESU is back on the field at War Memorial Stadium at 9 a.m. on Saturday morning against Kutztown and plays tournament host Apprentice at noon.
