Box Scores
W 18-5 / W 10-4
BLOOMSBURG - Senior outfielder Kevin Thompson went 4-for-7, drove in eight runs and homered in both games to lead an East Stroudsburg University offense that scored 28 runs in a doubleheader sweep at Bloomsburg in PSAC East baseball on Friday.
Thompson was one of four ESU players to collect three hits in an 18-5 win in the first game, and hit a three-run homer to cap a five-run third in the second game as the Warriors (18-14, 3-7) completed the sweep with a 10-4 victory.
In the opener, senior OF Mike Bortz was 3-for-3 with two doubles, five RBI and scored three runs to spark the Warriors from the leadoff spot and Thompson, freshman 2B Ryan Guarino and freshman SS Evan Gallagher also had three hits.
Thompson hit a two-run double in the first and a two-run homer in the third as the Warriors led 9-0 after three innings, 14-1 after four and 18-1 through six frames. Bortz hit a bases-clearing double and senior 3B Mark Angelo (2-for-5) had an RBI double to contribute to the seven-run third inning.
In the fourth, Thompson, Guarino, Gallagher and Bortz all had run-scoring hits, and ESU added four more runs in the sixth culminating with a two-run homer by senior 1B Chris Zsenak.
Junior pitcher Steve Prazenka threw 6.0 strong innings, allowing two runs on six hits while striking out five, to improve to 3-2 on the season. Bloomsburg managed three runs in the bottom of the seventh off freshman Chad Jacobson.
Bloomsburg freshman Vinny Voorhees brought a 3-1 record with a 1.50 ERA into the game but was knocked around for nine runs (seven earned) on eight hits in 2.2 innings. Dusty Johnson threw the final 4.1 innings for the Huskies (11-15, 3-7).
In the second game, junior DH John Pisker singled home Zsenak for the first run of the game in the second inning and Bloomsburg went ahead 2-1 on a two-out single by Mike Austin in the bottom half.
The Huskies got the first two outs in the top of the third before the Warriors exploded for five runs. Freshman OF Carey Zimmerman singled and Bortz and Angelo walked to start the rally, and Zsenak drove in a pair of runs with a double. Thompson followed with his second home run of the day to put the Warriors ahead 6-2.
Bortz hit a two-out, two-run homer in the fourth to stake ESU to an 8-2 advantage and the Warriors scratched out runs in the fifth and sixth to go ahead 10-2. Bloomsburg scored one run each in the sixth and seventh frames to complete the scoring.
Sophomore Tom Admire moved to 4-2 on the year with another quality start. He went 5.2 innings and struck out six, and senior Jason Colletti entered to get the final four outs. The Warriors hit Bloomsburg starter Mitch Troy for nine runs (eight earned) in his five inning stint.
Six different players contributed to ESU's eight hits in the second game, led by Zimmerman (2-for-4, 2 runs) and Zsenak (2-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 runs). The Warriors had 17 hits in the opener.
Bortz, Zsenak and Thompson all finished the day with 11 career home runs, tied for seventh in school history, entering Saturday's doubleheader with the Huskies which begins at 1 p.m. at Mitterling Field.
Thompson's eight RBI jumped him from seventh to third in ESU's career record book. He has 103 RBI in his career, six away from tying Bryan Yagel (2000-02) for the most in school history.
