Box Scores
L 5-4   l  W 7-1   l  L 7-6 (9 inn.)   l  W 6-2  l  Series Stats

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – East Stroudsburg University, ranked No. 24 in this week's NCBWA Division II poll, split a four-game series at Winston-Salem State this weekend in North Carolina in a match-up of teams that advanced to last year's NCAA Tournament.

The Warriors (7-2) rebounded from one-run losses to take the nightcap in both ends of Saturday and Sunday's doubleheaders. Winston-Salem State opened the series with a 5-4 win, ESU won game two 7-1, WSSU took game three 7-6 in 9 innings, and ESU finished the weekend with a 6-2 victory.

Sophomore right-handers Keenan Stare and Keith Moyer both had strong performances on the mound. Stare (3-0) went 5.0 innings, struck out five, walked one and gave up one run on four hits in the Warriors' 7-1 win on Saturday. Moyer (2-0) gave up two runs, one earned, and struck out four and walked three in 4.2 innings on Sunday.

The middle of the Warriors' order – junior OF Eric Boyer, junior 1B Brian Ernst, sophomore OF Chris Knott and redshirt senior 3B/OF Jason Kelmer – once again provided the offense for ESU, which swept a three-game series at Saint Augustine's and two-game set at Chowan in North Carolina over the last two weekends.

Knott entered the series hitting .632 (12-for-19) and was 6-for-14, including a two-run homer in game 2, and drew three walks. Boyer was 4-for-11 with a homer and four walks, Ernst was 6-for-14 with three walks and Kelmer was 4-for-13 with a walk and two HBP.

Brief recaps of each game are below. Box scores will be posted as soon as they are available.

Game 1 – L 5-4

Winston-Salem State did all of its scoring via the long ball, getting a leadoff homer from German Reyes in the first and two-run shots from Brandon Harrison in the third and Aaron Jones in the fifth.

ESU got two in the third on RBI singles by Ernst and junior C Nico Delerme. Boyer homered in the fifth and the Warriors pulled within 5-4 in the sixth when senior 2B Ryan Guarino walked and came around to score on a passed ball.

Game 2- W 7-1

Reyes gave Winston-Salem a 1-0 lead with another leadoff homer in the first, but Stare (5.0 IP) and sophomore Colin Taylor (2.0 IP) shut down the Rams the rest of the day.

ESU took its first lead of the weekend on Knott's two-run homer in the second. The Warriors took advantage of three walks and a single by junior OF Zac Menendez to take a 4-1 lead in the third. Boyer, Ernst and Kelmer put together singles to plate a run in the fifth, and Knott hit a two-run double in the seventh to cap a 3-for-4, 4 RBI game.

Game 3 – L 7-6 (9 inn.)

Ernst walked to plate a run in the third, and Ernst and Knott had RBI singles to tie the game at 3-3 in the top of the fifth. Winston-Salem took a 4-3 lead in the bottom half before ESU scored three more in the sixth, including run-scoring hits from Menendez and senior SS Evan Gallagher.

The Rams tied it on a two-run single by Michael Robbins in the sixth, and won it with a run in the ninth.

Game 4 – W 6-2

Ernst and Knott both had two hits as ESU evened the series with a victory to finish the weekend at 7-2. Gallagher doubled and scored on a single by Knott in the first, and the Warriors got their next run in the fourth when sophomore C Eric Forth walked and scored on an RBI double by freshman 3B Robert Patete.

Winston-Salem cut the margin to 2-1 in the bottom of the fourth, but ESU responded with a three-run fifth. Boyer was hit by a pitch and Ernst and Kelmer both singled. Forth followed with an RBI single and Delerme had a two-run single to make it 5-1. WSSU added its second run in the fifth and ESU finished the scoring on a sacrifice fly by Forth in the seventh.

Senior Ryan Beck went the final 2.1 innings in relief of Moyer to earn his sixth career save.


GAME NOTES
* Through 9 games, the Warriors are hitting .343 with a .438 on-base percentage and .457 slugging percentage. Seven regulars are hitting over .300 - Knott (.545, 18-33), Kelmer (.448, 13-29), Boyer (.355, 11-31), Delerme (.348, 8-23), Ernst (.333, 11-33), Gallagher (.333, 11-33) and Forth (.316, 6-19).
* Knott has 5 doubles, a triple and 2 homers and has a .579 on-base percentage and .939 slugging percentage.
* Knott (13), Boyer (9), Ernst (7), Kelmer (6) and Delerme (6) are the team leaders in RBI.
* Boyer has scored 12 runs, followed by Knott with 9 and Kelmer, Gallagher and Menendez with 8 each.
* The Warriors are 35-for-42 on the base paths. Boyer is 9-for-10, Knott is 8-for-9 and Kelmer and Menendez are both 6-for-7.

* ESU's staff ERA is 2.61 in 65.1 innings. ESU hurlers have allowed just 53 hits and 21 runs (19 earned) and have 64 strikeouts.
* Taylor has a 0.00 ERA in 5.1 innings. Stare and Moyer are both at 0.79 with 1 earned run in 11.1 innings apiece. Stare has 14 strikeouts and Moyer has 10.
* Ernst is 2-1 with a 2.70 ERA over 10.0 innings in 3 games (all starts) after returning from injury last season. He pitched just 7.2 innings a year ago but played in all 47 games offensively, leading the Warriors with a .354 average and 36 RBI.