Box Scores
L 4-3 (13 inn.) / W 12-7

EAST STROUDSBURG - East Stroudsburg University scored eight runs in the fifth inning to break a 4-4 tie and went on to a 12-7 win over Columbia Union in the second game of a non-conference baseball doubleheader on Sunday. The Pioneers outlasted the Warriors for a 4-3 (13 inning) victory in the opener.

ESU, which won its 30th game for the first time in school history, had 16 hits and six players collected multiple-hit games in the nightcap, led by senior OF Mike Bortz (3-for-4, two RBI, two runs) and senior OF Kevin Thompson, who had two hits in the eight-run fifth and an RBI triple in the first game to tie the school record with 63 career extra-base hits.

The first through fifth spots in the order all had at least two hits each, all of whom contributed to the big inning that broke the game open, and senior 2B Chad Schlegel, the No. 9 hitter, had a two-run single with the bases loaded that snapped the 4-4 tie.

Bortz, freshman OF Carey Zimmerman, junior DH John Pisker and senior 1B Chris Zsenak all hit consecutive doubles and Thompson finished the scoring with an RBI single, his second hit of the frame. Zimmerman was 5-for-8 on the day and went 3-for-4 in the first game.

Senior Bill Hezel earned the win to improve to 5-1 after entering with a runner on first and nobody out in the top of the fifth. He got two strikeouts and a fly ball to get out of the inning, and got another strikeout while pitching a scoreless sixth. Junior Steve Prazenka and senior Jason Colletti threw two innings each, while freshman Brandon Snyder took the mound in the seventh and allowed the first earned runs he has given up all year in his ninth appearance.

ESU scored three runs in the first when Bortz led off with a double and scored on a double by Zsenak, Thompson walked and junior C Brendan O'Connor followed with a two-run double. Columbia Union (17-13) got one run back in the second and scored three more (one earned) in the fourth to go ahead 4-3. The Warriors got their first two batters on in the bottom of the fourth and Bortz plated freshman OF Chad Jacobson (1-for-2, two walks) with an RBI groundout to tie the game at 4-4, and ESU won it in the fifth.

In the opener, solid starting pitching by ESU freshman Andy Noga (7.0 IP, seven strikeouts, two earned runs) and Columbia Union's Robert Butts gave way to even better relief performances in the 13-inning battle.

Junior Christian Saveri, appearing in his 19th game of the season, gave up one hit over five scoreless innings after entering the game in the eighth. A leadoff double by Anthony Weber led to the go-ahead run in the 13th as he moved up on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a base hit by Richard Arciniega.

Saveri pitched around an error and got out of a one-out situation with runners on second and third with his eighth strikeout of the game, but the Warriors couldn't capitalize on Zsenak's single to open the home half of the 13th as Columbia Union took the game 4-3.

Steven Sitter threw 8.1 innings in relief for the Pioneers and allowed five hits, all singles, and one walk while striking out three.

He entered the game after ESU tied the score at 3-3 with two runs in the fifth inning. The Warriors loaded the bases with two hits and an intentional walk issued to Bortz and scored when freshman 2B Ryan Guarino was hit by a pitch and Zsenak drew a walk.

Columbia Union had scored two runs, one earned, off Noga in the top of the fifth to break a 1-1 tie. The Pioneers struck for the first run of the game on an RBI single by Weber in the third before ESU leveled the score at 1-1 in the fourth on Thompson's triple that brought Brendan O'Malley around to score from first.

The triple was Thompson's third of the season and 31st extra-base hit, to go with 10 home runs (tied for the most in school history) and 18 doubles.

ESU travels to Chestnut Hill on Monday (7 p.m.) and Lafayette on Tuesday (4 p.m.) for single nine-inning games before finishing the regular season next weekend against Mansfield. The Warriors enter the weekend tied for fourth in the PSAC East standings with Mansfield and Millersville, all with 8-12 records, and own the tiebreaker over both schools. Millersville plays second-place Kutztown.