Box Scores
W 7-2 / W 4-3

CARY, N.C. – Sophomores Brian Ernst and Colin Kelly anchored a pitching staff that allowed just eight hits as East Stroudsburg University swept a doubleheader from Saint Augustine's, 7-2 and 4-3, to open the 2011 baseball season on Saturday at the USA Baseball Complex in North Carolina.

The Warriors overcame a pair of early deficits to take the first two games of this weekend's three-game set with the Falcons, who were 35-19 a year ago and won the CIAA regular season and tournament championships.

Ernst gave up just one earned run and one hit in 4.0 innings and freshman Keith Moyer struck out five in 3.0 innings in his first career appearance to earn the save in the opener.

In the nightcap, Kelly (5.0 IP, 3 runs, 3 hits, 4 strikeouts) gave way to sophomore Mike Glassic, who worked a perfect sixth inning, and junior Ryan Beck, who pitched around a two-out walk to get a strikeout to close the victory and notch the save.

The Warriors had 14 hits in the first game with the first five batters all collecting multi-hit games. Junior SS Evan Gallagher was 2-for-5 with two runs, redshirt junior 3B Jake Griesemer went 4-for-5 with two RBI, sophomore OF Eric Boyer was 2-for-4 with an RBI, sophomore 1B Tom Spilatore was 2-for-5 with an RBI and an run and Ernst had a 2-for-4 day with a run and an RBI.

Saint Augustine's touched Ernst for two runs in the first inning but wouldn't score again, and Ernst helped his own cause with an RBI single and senior catcher Bryce Muth had a two-run double to give the Warriors a 3-2 lead in the third inning.

ESU struck for two runs in the sixth and seventh innings to support Moyer, who scattered four hits in 3.0 innings but picked off the first two batters who reached base. He nabbed leadoff hitter Rasha Ingram (2-for-3, four steals) after a leadoff double in the fifth inning, then got Arie Polanco following a leadoff single in the sixth.

Junior 2B Ryan Guarino walked and scored on base hits by Griesemer in both the sixth and seventh. Gallagher also had singles in both frames and scored on a single by Spilatore in the sixth and a base hit by Boyer in the seventh.

In game two, Saint Augustine's used a leadoff triple from Mike Wallace to strike first in the second inning, and Ingram walked, stole second and scored on an infield single and David Nelson belted an RBI double to take a 3-0 lead in the third.

The Warriors got two runs back in the fourth, when Boyer led off with a triple and scored on a single by Spilatore and freshman DH Eric Forth drove in Spilatore with his first career hit.

Kelly retired six of the seven batters he faced in the bottom of the fourth and fifth frames, and ESU took a 4-3 lead in the top of the fifth. Junior OF Carey Zimmerman opened the inning with a double and scored on a double by Griesemer to tie the game, then Griesemer moved to third on a fly ball to right field by Boyer and scored on a passed ball before the Falcons got out of the inning.

The Warriors' bullpen, which threw 5.0 scoreless innings between the two games, sealed the win as Glassic got three straight outs in the sixth and Beck got two groundouts and struck out Ingram for the final out after issuing a two-out walk. Saint Augustine's didn't have a hit after the third inning.

ESU and Saint Augustine's finish the series on Sunday at the complex which has hosted the NCAA Division II College World Series.