Box Scores
Game 1 - W 9-4
Game 2 - W 6-0

PHILADELPHIA – Junior Brian Ernst pitched and hit the Warriors to a 9-4 win in the opener, and five pitchers combined on a two-hitter in a 6-0 win in game two as East Stroudsburg University swept a doubleheader at the University of the Sciences on Sunday afternoon.

Ernst improved to 3-0 on the mound by allowing just an unearned run in 4.0 innings, striking out six and allowing two hits, and was 3-for-4 with a double and three RBI at the plate as part of an 11-hit production from the ESU offense in game one.

In the second game, ESU's quintet of pitchers took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and finished with the squad's third shutout of the season. Sophomore Keenan Stare (2.0 IP, 2 strikeouts) got the win to improve to 5-1 on the season.

ESU improves to 14-5 entering its opening PSAC East series against Mansfield next weekend. The Warriors were 5-3 last week in Florida, including an 8-4 loss at No. 1-ranked Tampa.

Ernst was 5-for-7 with a double, homer and four RBI and junior OF Zac Menendez was 2-for-5 with four walks, three stolen bases and four runs in the leadoff spot to pace the Warriors' offensive attack. Menendez was 2-for-4 with a walk, a steal and two runs in game one and 0-for-1 with three walks, two steals and two runs in game two.

In the opener, ESU struck for two runs in the first as Menendez hit a leadoff single, stole second and scored on an RBI double by senior SS Evan Gallagher. Ernst drove in Gallagher with an RBI single to help his own cause for a 2-0 lead.

The Warriors added two more runs in the third as Gallagher singled, stole second and scored on an RBI double by junior OF Eric Boyer, and sophomore Chris Knott brought Boyer home with a sacrifice fly later in the inning.

ESU broke the game open with five runs in the sixth after USP made it 4-1 in the bottom of the third. A walk by freshman 3B Robert Patete, single by senior 2B Ryan Guarino and bunt single by Menendez loaded the bases for Gallagher, who plated Patete with a sacrifice fly. Ernst followed two batters later with a two-RBI single, and Knott dealt the final blow with a triple and scored on an error on the play.

Sophomore Colin Taylor followed Ernst to the mound with 2.0 shutout innings, allowing two hits and striking out two. Redshirt senior Jason Kelmer and junior Michael Muglia combined to pitch the seventh as USP scored three unearned runs for the 9-4 final.

In game two, Stare (2.0 IP, 2 strikeouts), sophomore Keith Moyer (2.0 IP, 2 strikeouts, 1 walk), redshirt senior Eric Kline (1.0 IP, 1 strikeout), freshman Jabin Weaver (1.0 IP, 1 hit, 1 walk) and senior Ryan Beck (1.0 IP, 1 hit) combined on the two-hit shutout.

Stare left with a 1-0 lead as Menendez produced a run in the first, drawing a leadoff walk, stealing second and scoring on a groundout by Boyer.

The Warriors' running game was at it again in a three-run third. Guarino singled and stole second, Menendez walked and a double steal put runners at second and third. Guarino scored on a groundout by Gallagher, and Menendez scored from second on a groundout to first by Boyer to make it 3-0.

Ernst followed with a solo homer, his second of the season and ninth of his career, to give the Warriors a 4-0 lead. They added runs in the fourth and fifth, with Patete and sophomore 1B Mark Romano hitting back-to-back doubles and Ernst scoring on the second triple of the game by Knott.

ESU had 17 hits on the day with nine going for extra bases, led by Ernst's double and home run and Knott's two triples, giving him six in his career.

The Warriors' pitchers limited USP to seven total hits and no earned runs. Ernst has a 2.11 ERA with 23 strikeouts and 14 hits allowed in 21.1 innings over five starts this season. Stare has a 1.93 ERA with 29 strikeouts and 14 hits allowed in 23.1 innings in seven games, including five starts.

This weekend's PSAC East series with Mansfield begins with a doubleheader on Friday at 1 p.m. at Mitterling Field before the series shifts to the Northern Tier. The Warriors had their “bye” week in conference play this weekend and are the only PSAC East team to make the PSAC Tournament in each of the last two years.

GAME NOTES
* ESU was 10-for-11 on stolen bases on Sunday and is 69-for-80 through its first 19 games. The Warriors were 3rd in Division II in stolen bases per game in last week's rankings.
* Boyer (16-for-17), Menendez (16-17), Gallagher (10-11) and Knott (10-11) give ESU four players with 10+ stolen bases for the first time in school history.
* Knott leads ESU with a .366 batting average and has a .420 on-base percentage and .648 slugging percentage. 12 of his 26 hits have gone for extra bases, with 6 doubles, 4 triples and 2 homers.