Box Score
NEW CASTLE, Del. - Senior OF
Mike Bortz and freshman OF
Carey Zimmerman both had four-hit games to lead East Stroudsburg University to a 14-6 win at Wilmington University in non-conference baseball on Monday.
Bortz was 4-for-6 with three RBI in the leadoff spot and Zimmerman was 4-for-5 with two RBI and scored three runs in the last spot in the order for the Warriors. Freshman SS Evan Gallagher was 1-for-4, reached base twice on errors, had a sacrifice fly and scored four runs out of the number eight spot.
Junior DH John Pisker and junior C Brendan O'Connor also had multi-hit games for ESU (16-14), which had 15 hits in the game and scored runs in six different innings.
Junior Anthony Clemens earned the win on the mound, giving up one hit and striking out five in 5.0 innings in relief of senior starter Bill Hezel. The Wildcats (10-10) threw nine pitchers one inning each, with Steve Messick taking the loss.
Wilmington got on the board with a run in the bottom of the first before the Warriors scored twice in the second and four more times in the third to seize control. Zimmerman had run-scoring hits in both innings, with a single in the second and a double in the third, and scored the final run of the third inning on a double by Bortz to give the Warriors a 6-1 lead.
ESU took a 9-2 advantage through five and a half innings, using a leadoff double by Pisker to spark a three-run inning. Pisker moved to third on a fly ball by O'Connor and scored on Gallagher's sacrifice fly. Zimmerman doubled and Bortz singled to put runners on the corners and Zimmerman scored on a double steal. Bortz proceeded to steal third and scored on a balk to finish the frame.
Wilmington cut into the lead with four runs in the fifth as Clemens replaced Hezel after the first three batters reached base. Mike Goodwin had a two RBI double for the only hit the Wildcats would manage off Clemens and a pair of ground outs plated the final two runs to make the score 9-6.
The Warriors put the game away with five runs over the final three innings while Clemens cruised on the mound. Bortz had an RBI single in the seventh, senior 1B Chris Zsenak doubled and senior OF Kevin Thompson tripled in the eighth, and ESU scored two runs on two hits in the ninth to set the final margin.
Bloomsburg hosts ESU on Friday in the first end of this weekend's PSAC East series. First pitch for Saturday's doubleheader at Mitterling Field is set for 1 p.m.
