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W 4-1 / W 5-1

EAST STROUDSBURG – Freshman Brian Ernst and senior Christian Saveri held Millersville to two runs on seven hits as East Stroudsburg University took both ends of a PSAC East baseball doubleheader, 4-1 and 5-1, on Friday afternoon at Mitterling Field.

ESU (20-16, 7-11) has won six straight games and nine of its last 10 entering Saturday's doubleheader at Millersville (19-21, 9-9), which is tied with Mansfield (24-13) for third in the PSAC East after the Mounties won a pair at Shippensburg on Friday. ESU faces Mansfield in its final conference series of the year next weekend.

Ernst took a no-hitter into the fifth inning and gave up three hits, struck out seven and walked three in his first career complete game in the opener. The freshman won his second straight conference start and also had an RBI single as the Warriors' starting first baseman in game two.

Saveri (four hits, five strikeouts, three walks) allowed an unearned run in the first and blanked the Marauders from there. A three-time PSAC East Pitcher of the Week this year and a second team all-conference reliever last season, Saveri lowered his season ERA to 2.06 in 56.2 innings and moved with one game of the school record of 64 career appearances.

The senior left-hander threw his second straight complete game after beating Shippensburg 3-1 last Saturday, a start where he stranded 13 runners on base. Millersville had a runner in scoring position in the third, fourth and fifth but couldn't capitalize, and also left a runner on second in the first.

The first game lasted just 1:25 as Ernst and Millersville senior left-hander Ryan Stauffer both had no-hitters through the first three innings.

The Warriors got to Stauffer for two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Sophomore SS Evan Gallagher broke up the no-hitter with a leadoff single and freshman OF Eric Boyer followed with a double down the left field line. Ernst helped his own cause with an RBI groundout for the game's first run and redshirt sophomore 3B Jake Griesemer came through with a two-out single that scored Boyer from second.

Ernst cruised through the first four frames before Derek Kline doubled to lead off the fifth and scored on a single by Kent Gerdes, but the Marauders were unable to do any more damage.

Boyer kept the Warriors ahead 2-1 with an outstanding defensive play in center field in the top of the sixth, taking a home run away from Adam Boyd when he tracked the ball down and maintained control as he went over the snow fence in center.

ESU added two more runs in the sixth to go ahead 4-1. Freshman OF Evan Cain hit a leadoff double, Gallagher and Boyer both singled and junior OF Jason Kelmer doubled down the first base line to give Ernst a three-run lead.

Kline's one-out single was the only hit for the Marauders in the top of the seventh as Ernst wrapped up his first career complete game and improved to 4-2 on the season. The freshman has 40 strikeouts in 39.0 innings and has made all five conference starts so far this spring.

In the second game, Ryan McCormick's leadoff single led to an unearned run after a stolen base, failed pickoff attempt and sacrifice fly gave the Marauders a 1-0 lead.

ESU tied the game on a solo homer by Kelmer, his fifth of the year, to lead off the second and went ahead 2-1 on a two-out single by Griesemer in the third.

Millersville threatened in the middle innings but Saveri stranded runners in scoring position in the third, fourth and fifth and pitched around a two-out walk in the sixth.

The Warriors pushed the lead to 5-1 with three runs in the bottom of the inning, capitalizing on three errors that could have gotten the Marauders out of trouble. Ernst's RBI single was one of just two hits in the inning, and Saveri completed the sweep without incident in the seventh.

ESU had nine hits in both games and received contributions up and down the lineup, with seven players collecting multiple hits in the twinbill. Gallagher and Boyer were both 2-for-3 in the first game and sophomore CF Carey Zimmerman had a pair of hits in the second game.

Boyer was 3-for-6 on the day and is hitting .487 (19-for-39) with five doubles, three homers and 16 RBI in 13 starts during the PSAC East schedule.

Saturday's doubleheader at Millersville begins at 1 p.m. Live stats will be available online at www.millersvilleathletics.com.