Box Scores
L 5-0 / L 9-6
MILLERSVILLE - Kyle Belanchik threw a five-hit shutout in the first game and Derek Kline was 6-for-8 with three extra-base hits in the doubleheader as Millersville took a pair of games from East Stroudsburg University, 5-0 and 9-6, in PSAC East baseball on Friday afternoon.
In the opener, Kline and Cody Wile both hit two-run homers in the first inning off ESU junior Steve Prazenka to give Millersville (20-15, 7-7) a 4-0 lead, and the Marauders rode the left arm of Belanchik, who threw the second shutout of his freshman season.
Senior Jason Colletti threw the final five innings for the Warriors (24-19, 6-12) and struck out six, allowing four hits and one run in the fifth inning. Prazenka fell to 3-3 after giving up three hits, two walks and two hit by pitches and leaving the bases loaded in the first.
Millersville led 3-0 through three innings of the second game before senior OF Kevin Thompson drove in senior 3B Mark Angelo with an RBI single in the top of the fourth. Thompson pulled within one of the school record with his 108th career RBI, while Angelo tied Thompson for the team lead (and the school record) with his 18th double of the season.
The Marauders got to ESU starter Tom Admire again in the bottom of the fourth, led by RBI doubles by Adam Boyd and Kline, to go ahead 7-1. Junior Christian Saveri got the final two outs of the frame and threw the final 2.2 innings, allowing two runs (one earned) and striking out two.
ESU put up four runs in the fifth and one in the sixth to pull within 7-6. In the fifth, the Warriors got singles from sophomore C Bryce Muth and senior OF Mike Bortz and a walk from freshman SS Evan Gallagher, and freshman Chad Jacobson pinch-hit and lifted a sacrifice fly to center for the first run of the inning. Angelo stepped in as the next batter and drilled a three-run homer that made the score 7-5.
The Warriors got their run in the sixth on a sacrifice fly off the bat of freshman 2B Ryan Guarino. Junior DH John Pisker singled to left and Muth singled to right to move Pisker to third, and Guarino's fly ball to center brought ESU within one run. Andrew Clemens came on for Millersville to get the final out of the inning to preserve the one-run lead.
Millersville ended ESU's momentum in the bottom of the sixth, as two hits, a sacrifice bunt and an error were enough to put two runs on the board and take a 9-6 lead into the seventh, where Clemens got three straight outs for his second save of the year.
Angelo, Pisker and Muth led the Warriors offensively. Angelo went 2-for-4 with a homer and a double in the second game, giving him a .391 average with 24 extra-base hits this season. Pisker raised his average to .438 with a 3-for-6 day at the plate, while Muth was 3-for-3 in the second game.
Kline (6-for-8, six RBI), Boyd (4-for-8, four runs) and Wile (3-for-6, four RBI) were the top offensive performers for Millersville. Freshman Jason Long was the winning pitcher in the second game and Adam Koppenhaver and Ryan Stauffer got two outs each before turning the ball over to Clemens.
The Warriors host Millersville for a pair of games on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Mitterling Field as they look to make up ground on the Marauders for the final playoff spot in the PSAC East.
