Box Score / Saturday's recap

CARY, N.C. – Junior shortstop Evan Gallagher was 2-for-2 with a walk, a three-run double and three runs in the first three innings as East Stroudsburg University broke the game open early and finished this weekend's three-game sweep of Saint Augustine's with a 13-0 shutout on Sunday afternoon in North Carolina.

The Warriors pounded out 16 hits on Sunday, hit .356 for the weekend, and gave up just five runs on 12 hits on the mound to open the season with a 3-0 record against the defending CIAA regular season and tournament champions. ESU took both ends of a doubleheader, 7-2 and 4-3, on Saturday.

Sparked by Gallagher at the top of the lineup, ESU led 8-0 through three innings while redshirt sophomore Andy Noga went to work on the hill. Noga pitched 4.0 innings, struck out three and yielded two hits and one walk to earn the win as the first of seven pitchers for the Warriors, four of whom saw their first collegiate action.

Sophomore OF Eric Boyer had six RBI, going 2-for-5 with a sacrifice fly in the first, a two-run single in the third and a three-run homer in the seventh to cap the Warriors' scoring. He is the eighth Warrior with at least six RBI in a game since 2003.

Redshirt junior 3B Jake Griesemer (3-for-4, two RBI, one run) and freshman OF Chris Knott (3-for-6, two doubles, two runs) both had three-hit games and six of the Warriors' nine starters had at least one hit. Knott, freshman 3B Mark Romano and freshman 2B Matt Bahnick all collected the first hits of their careers.

After Boyer plated Gallagher for the game's first run in the first inning, Gallagher's bases-clearing double keyed a four-run second and Griesemer and Boyer had RBI singles in a three-run third. ESU added another run in the fourth when Knott cracked the first of his two doubles and scored on a single by sophomore catcher Nico Delerme, and tagged on four more in the seventh when Bahnick belted an RBI triple and Boyer ended the frame with his three-run blast.

Six Warriors went to the mound in relief of Noga and freshman Keenan Stare wrapped up the sweep by striking out the side in the ninth inning. Freshman Colin Taylor (1.0 IP, 1 strikeout) pitched the fifth, freshman Joel Rosencrance (1.0 IP, 1 hit, 1 strikout) handled the sixth and freshman Kurtis Roberts (0.0 IP, 1 walk) and redshirt sophomores Brandon Snyder (1.0 IP) and Kyle Evans (1.0 IP, 1 hit, 1 strikeout) took care of the seventh and eighth innings.

Griesemer hit .615 (8-for-13) with five RBI and two runs, Boyer was 5-for-13 with a triple, homer and seven RBI, sophomore Brian Ernst was 4-for-12 and Gallagher went 4-for-13 with three RBI and five runs to lead the Warriors at the plate in the sweep. Junior 2B Ryan Guarino reached base in five of his seven plate appearances (one hit, four walks) and scored four runs.

Ernst and sophomore Colin Kelly were the winning pitchers on Saturday with freshman Keith Moyer and junior Ryan Beck coming through with saves in relief. ESU used a total of 12 pitchers over 23.0 innings and notched a 1.57 ERA, .152 batting average against, 22 strikeouts and nine walks.

The Warriors head back to North Carolina next weekend when they play three games at Chowan, which was 24-23-1 last season and returns All-Region first baseman Justin Bagbey. PSAC West member Mercyhurst took two of three games at Chowan as both schools opened their seasons this weekend.