Box Scores
L 9-2 / W 5-3

BLOOMSBURG – Freshman Colin Kelly won his first career PSAC East start and East Stroudsburg University scored four runs in the top of the sixth to post a comeback 5-3 victory to split the first two games of this weekend's series at Bloomsburg.

Kelly threw 5.2 innings and senior Christian Saveri came on to get the final four outs and nail down his eighth career save for the Warriors (11-11, 2-6), who picked up a critical win as they look to get back into the PSAC playoff picture after opening against preseason favorite Kutztown and defending champion West Chester.

Bloomsburg won the opener 9-2 with Grant Kernaghan allowing one earned run and striking out 10 in a complete game effort. The Huskies ran out to a 7-0 lead through the first two innings and designated hitter Eric Ebert hit a grand slam in the second.

The series concludes on Saturday at Bloomsburg. The four-game set was originally scheduled with the first two games at ESU on Friday and the return trip to Bloomsburg on Saturday, but was flipped earlier this week and ultimately rescheduled with all four games at Bloomsburg due to conditions at ESU's Mitterling Field.

The Warriors scored first in their victory in the nightcap, getting on the board in the third inning when freshman OF Evan Cain singled to score sophomore SS Evan Gallagher.

Bloomsburg hit back-to-back home runs to take a 3-1 lead in the fourth with Jarrod Kramer hitting a two-run shot and Gino Wise following with a solo blast.

ESU's comeback in the sixth began with a solo home run by freshman Brian Ernst, the Warriors' starting pitcher in game one. Junior catcher Bryce Muth drove in the tying run with a double that scored redshirt freshman Zak Tupper, who pinch ran after freshman DH Nico Delerme followed Ernst's homer with a base hit.

The Warriors took the lead on a single by sophomore 2B Ryan Guarino that brought in freshman Eric Boyer, who replaced Muth as a pinch runner. Sophomore CF Carey Zimmerman singled, Cain walked and junior LF Jason Kelmer drew a bases loaded walk that gave ESU a 5-3 lead.

The Huskies put their first two runners on base in the sixth as Jerry Lloyd was hit by a pitch and Ebert singled. A sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third and Kelly got Wise to pop up to Gallagher at short before Saveri entered and pinch-hitter Nick Eversole grounded out to Guarino at second to end the threat.

In the seventh, Chris Tressler managed a two-out single to get the tying run to the plate, but Saveri induced a game-ending groundout by Tony Donofry to shortstop to seal the victory.

Kelly struck out four, walked two and allowed seven hits but pitched around leadoff base runners in each of the first three innings before Saveri came on to finish it. A second team All-PSAC East reliever last season, Saveri set the school record with 22 appearances, including four saves. He has a 2.34 ERA in 34.2 innings over seven games this season and made his second relief appearance of the year.

In the opener, Kernaghan held the Warriors to one hit in the first three innings while Bloomsburg's offense built a 7-0 lead. The Huskies scored their first run on an error and Kramer had a two-run double in the first, and Ebert's grand slam in the second came after two hits and a fielders' choice.

The Warriors scored their runs on RBI doubles by Ernst in the third and Boyer in the sixth, while Bloomsburg added single runs in the fifth and sixth innings.

Ernst went the first 3.1 innings on the mound for ESU and had seven strikeouts. He allowed seven runs (four earned) before giving way to sophomore Chad Jacobson, who threw 2.2 innings in his team-leading 12th appearance of the season.

Ernst, Boyer and Delerme, all freshmen, had multi-hit games in the opener. Zimmerman was 3-for-4 in the leadoff spot in game two and Gallagher and Guarino both had a pair of hits at the bottom of the order.

Delerme raised his season average to .389, going 3-for-5, and Ernst was 3-for-7 in the twinbill with his second home run of the year.