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W 1-0 / W 6-0

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EAST STROUDSBURG – Redshirt senior Jeremy Gigliotti and redshirt sophomore Andy Noga put together impressive pitching performances, throwing a pair of complete game shutouts, as East Stroudsburg University swept Kutztown 1-0 and 6-0 in the first half of this weekend's series to open the PSAC East baseball schedule.

In the first game, Gigliotti threw a three-hitter with nine strikeouts and three walks for his 15th career victory and second career shutout. He outdueled fellow left-hander Jonathan Grosse, who also yielded just three hits, but got three strikeouts to get out of a no-out, bases loaded situation in the second inning and shut down the Golden Bears the rest of the way.

Noga tossed a five-hitter, struck out eight and didn't issue a walk for the first shutout of his career in the nightcap as the Warriors completed the doubleheader sweep of the PSAC East preseason favorites.

The sterling performances on the mound helped ESU improve to 15-3 on the season, continuing its best start in school history heading into the second half of the series on Saturday at Kutztown. The Golden Bears (10-6) entered the week ranked No. 2 in the Atlantic Region and No. 22 in Division II in polls conducted by the NCBWA. ESU is the region's third-ranked team for the second straight week.

The back-to-back shutouts are the first for ESU in a conference series since blanking Mansfield (7-0, 5-0) in 2001. The Warriors have thrown three straight shutouts for the second time in school history, also in 2001, after sophomore Mike Muglia and redshirt sophomore Kyle Evans combined on a seven-hitter in a 10-0 whitewashing of USP on Thursday. ESU's five shutouts this season – all in the first 18 games – are tied for the school record.

Gigliotti and Noga handled a Kutztown lineup that was hitting .358 and averaged more than 11 runs per game through its first 14 contests. Shayne Houck, last year's PSAC East Player of the Year, went 0-for-5 on the day after entering with a hit in every game this season. Kyle Stoudt and Mike Dugan both had three hits, while the rest of the Golden Bears lineup combined to hit 2-for-39 in the twinbill.

Redshirt junior 3B Jake Griesemer was 5-for-7 on the day and provided the run-scoring hit in the fifth inning in the opener. Sophomore OF Evan Cain reached on an error with one out, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by junior SS Evan Gallagher and scored on Griesemer's two-out single for the only run of the game.

Gigliotti made the run stand up, extending his consecutive scoreless innings streak to 19 to start this season and 21 stretching back to his final appearance last year. He hasn't given up a run in more than a calendar year, as he made his final start of the 2010 season on March 17 before missing the rest of the season due to injury.

The preseason All-Region left-hander is 3-0 with 29 strikeouts, four walks and seven hits allowed in four appearances this season. He had a stretch of 31.2 innings without allowing an earned run two seasons ago and has surrendered just four runs in his last 64 innings since March 20, 2009.

Noga improved to 4-0 in five starts this season, posting a 1.59 ERA, 24 strikeouts and three walks in 28.1 innings after a dominant performance in the second game. He got out of his biggest jam in the fourth inning, striking out Dugan and getting Matt Albaugh to ground out with runners on second and third and the Warriors clinging to a 2-0 lead.

The Warriors put together a nine-hit attack off Kutztown starter Tyler Persun and relievers Jacob Schnee and Jason Henderson. Griesemer was 3-for-4 with an RBI, sophomore OF Eric Boyer was 2-for-3 with an RBI and sophomore DH Tom Spilatore went 2-for-4 and scored two runs.

ESU took a 2-0 lead in the second inning when Spilatore led off with a single and freshman OF Chris Knott was hit by a pitch to set the table. Both runners moved up on a wild pitch, Spilatore scored on a fielders' choice by junior 2B Ryan Guarino, and Knott came home when Guarino stole second and Albaugh's throw went into center field.

The lead was extended to 5-0 with a three runs in the fourth, all with two outs. Guarino started the rally with a bunt single, junior OF Carey Zimmerman walked and Gallagher, Griesemer and Boyer all followed with RBI singles before Persun got the third out of the inning.

The Warriors tagged on an unearned run in the fifth to go ahead 6-0, and Noga was on cruise control after getting out of trouble in the fourth. He pitched around a one-out double in the fifth and struck out Houck, James Quigley and Albaugh around a pair of singles in the sixth before retiring the side in order in the seventh.

Saturday's doubleheader begins at 1 p.m. at Kutztown. Live stats will be available through the Kutztown sports information office and will also be linked through www.esuwarriors.com.


Warriors Notes

* Gigliotti's streak of 21 innings without allowing a run is approaching the PSAC record that was set by Millersville's Brooks Rothschild earlier this season. Rothschild had a streak of 27.0 innings from April 16, 2010 to March 12, 2011, breaking the previous mark of 26.2 set by Clarion's Brad Frazier in 1992.
* Gigliotti went 21.2 innings without allowing a run from April 5 to April 24 in 2009, part of his streak of 31.2 innings without an earned run.
* The senior ranks fourth in school history with 187 career strikeouts in 167.2 innings. He is 28 strikeouts away from the school record of 215 set by Joel Bennett from 1989-91. He is also one of eight pitchers in school history with 15 career victories and four away from the record of 19 held by Mike Balent (1982-85) and Mike Zimorowicz (1999-02).