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W 10-6 / L 3-1

EAST STROUDSBURG – Freshman Keenan Stare threw 4.1 innings of one-hit relief and East Stroudsburg University scored nine runs on two hits over the fifth and sixth innings to post a 10-6 win over Bloomsburg in the first game of Monday's PSAC East baseball doubleheader at Mitterling Field.

Junior 2B Ryan Guarino and redshirt junior 3B Jake Griesemer both had three hits and the Warriors took advantage of seven walks, a hit batter and three errors to come back from a 5-0 deficit.

Bloomsburg won the second game, 3-1, behind a complete game three-hitter from Kyle Hunter. The Huskies scored three unearned runs in the top of the fifth off junior Ryan Beck (5.0 IP, 6 hits, 6 strikeouts, 2 walks), and sophomore Mike Muglia threw 2.0 scoreless innings with two strikeouts in relief.

The Warriors (22-9, 8-6) and Huskies (14-16, 5-11) split the four-game series, 2-2, after opening with a split at Bloomsburg on Friday.

In the opener, Stare allowed just one run on one hit in relief of sophomore Colin Kelly after Bloomsburg took a 5-0 lead in the third inning. Guarino and Griesemer put together back-to-back doubles to make it 5-1 in the bottom of the inning, and the Warriors managed just two hits the rest of the way but capitalized on Bloomsburg's miscues to plate six runs in the fifth to take the lead and three more in the sixth to pad the advantage.

The top four hitters in the lineup – junior SS Evan Gallagher (0-4, run), Guarino (3-4, 3 runs), Griesemer (3-3, walk, RBI, 2 runs) and sophomore 1B Brian Ernst (1-2, 2 walks, RBI, run) – combined to go 7-for-13 with three walks, two RBI and seven runs. The bottom five hitters were 0-for-14 but had four walks, a hit by pitch, three runs and seven RBI.

In the fifth, Gallagher reached on a leadoff error, Guarino had a 30-foot single for the Warriors' only hit in the six-run inning, and Griesemer walked to load the bases. Ernst and freshman C Eric Forth had RBI walks with the bases loaded, freshman CF Chris Knott was hit by a pitch to score a run, freshman LF Matt Bahnick hit an RBI groundout, Forth scored on a throwing error on a fielders choice and sophomore OF Evan Cain had an RBI fielders choice to account for the six runs on one hit in the frame.

Bloomsburg plated their only run off Stare in the top of the sixth to make it 7-6, but ESU came back with three runs in the bottom of the inning. This time, Guarino reached on a leadoff error, Griesemer singled and Ernst walked to load the bases; Forth had an RBI fielders choice, Bahnick walked to score a run and senior C Bryce Muth lifted a sacrifice fly for the third run of the inning.

Stare issued a walk and hit by pitch with one out in the seventh to put the tying run in the on-deck circle, but Knott made a diving catch in center and doubled up the lead runner at second base for a game-ending double play.

In the second game, ESU took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first as Gallagher hit a one-out single, stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a groundout by Griesemer, but the Warriors had just two hits off Hunter in the final six innings.

The Huskies scored their three runs, all unearned, off Beck in the fifth after a leadoff error, sacrifice bunt and strikeout. After a walk put runners on first and second, Brad Smith hit a two-run double to give Bloomsburg the lead and Joey Ianeiro hit an RBI single to make the score 3-1.

Muglia pitched into and out of trouble after relieving Beck in the sixth, getting a strikeout, an out at home on a suicide squeeze and a groundout after a pair of singles to start the inning. He pitched around a hit by pitch to start the seventh inning, but the Warriors could only put together a two-out single by Knott in the bottom of the seventh before Hunter got a strikeout to end the game.

ESU's doubleheader at Mansfield on Tuesday is postponed due to inclement weather. A make-up day and time will be announced as soon as it is available as the Warriors and Mounties attempt to finish their series that opened on April 3. The Warriors will host Shippensburg on Friday at 1 p.m. in the first half of this weekend's four-game series.