Box Scores
L 4-1 / W 11-2

SCHEDULE UPDATE: ESU at Mansfield Postponed Wednesday

SHIPPENSBURG – East Stroudsburg University pounded 17 hits in the nightcap to break out of an offensive slump and end a four-game losing streak with an 11-2 victory for an important doubleheader split at Shippensburg in PSAC East baseball on Tuesday.

The Warriors (23-12, 9-9) evened their PSAC East record after falling below .500 for the first time all season following Shippensburg's 4-1 win in the opener. Six games remain on the conference slate – two at Mansfield on Wednesday and four with division leader Millersville on Friday and Saturday – as ESU looks for its second straight trip to the PSAC Tournament.

Freshman Keith Moyer improved to 3-0 with a 5.0-inning, four-hit, two-run performance and sophomore Mike Glassic and freshman Joel Rosencrance both tossed an inning of scoreless relief to back an offense that reached double-figures in hits for the first time since compiling 17 at West Chester on April 9.

Freshman OF Matt Bahnick was 4-for-5 with a double, the only extra-base hit for either team, to lead the hit parade. Every starter had at least one hit and six players had multi-hit games for ESU, which had 24 hits and 10 walks but scored just five runs in its previous four games.

The Warriors strung together seven straight hits and had eight consecutive batters reach base in a six-run second inning after scoring three runs, all unearned, on freshman DH Eric Forth's three-RBI single in the first.

After a groundout to start the second inning, junior SS Evan Gallagher was hit by a pitch and the next seven batters collected singles – junior 2B Ryan Guarino, redshirt junior 3B Jake Griesemer, sophomore 1B Brian Ernst, freshman OF Chris Knott, Forth, Bahnick and senior C Bryce Muth – to chase Shippensburg starter Ted Williams after Bahnick's second hit of the game.

ESU added two more runs in the sixth on an RBI single by Gallagher and a bases-loaded walk by Guarino, who was 2-for-4. Ernst, Knott, Forth and Muth also had two hits and Forth had a game-high four RBI.

In the opener, the Warriors had seven hits but hit into three double plays, including inning-enders with the bases loaded in the sixth and seventh frames.

Shippensburg took a 3-0 lead on three hits and an error in the third inning and threatened again before leaving the bases loaded in the fourth, as freshman Colin Taylor got a ground ball for the final out of the inning in relief of freshman Keenan Stare (3.2 IP, 3 runs, 2 earned, 7 hits).

The Warriors mounted their first serious threat in the sixth as Bahnick and Gallagher singled and Guarino walked to load the bases with one out. Griesemer hit an RBI single to make it 3-1, but reliever Nick Umberger got a double play to get out of the inning.

Shippensburg added another run to go ahead 4-1 in the bottom of the sixth before ESU loaded the bases again in the seventh, this time with no outs, off closer Kody Kibler. Sophomore C Nico Delerme and Knott singled and sophomore OF Evan Cain walked to fill the sacks, but Austin Bartley entered to get a strikeout and double play to wrap up the win for the Red Raiders.

Tom Bush (4.0 IP, 1 hit, 3 strikeouts, 1 walk) improved to 6-1 on the mound for Shippensburg, retiring the first eight batters before allowing his only hit with two outs in the third inning. Umberger, who threw a complete game in Shippensburg's 2-1 win at ESU on Friday, threw 2.0 innings before turning it over to Kibler and Bartley for the save.

Stare fell to 3-2 in the second PSAC East start of his career. Taylor threw the final 2.1 innings in relief, allowing one run on two hits.

Bahnick and Knott, both freshmen, were 2-for-3 at the plate in the second game and had outstanding doubleheaders. Bahnick was 6-for-8 hitting in the No. 9 spot in the first game and No. 6 spot in the second game, and Knott was 4-for-6 on the day and had two RBI and two runs in the nightcap.

The Warriors enter Wednesday's doubleheader at Mansfield tied for third in the PSAC East. Millersville is 15-5, followed by Shippensburg (11-9), ESU (9-9), Kutztown (10-10), West Chester (9-13), Bloomsburg (8-12) and Mansfield (6-10).