Box Scores
W 6-1
L 10-5

Coach Kochmansky discusses 2013 season

EAST STROUDSBURG – Junior outfielder Chris Knott was 3-for-5 with two walks, a double, triple, home run and five RBI to lead East Stroudsburg University to a doubleheader split with Le Moyne in non-conference baseball on Wednesday afternoon at Mitterling Field.

In ESU's 6-1 win in the opener, Knott tripled and scored the Warriors' first run in the second inning and hit a two-run double as part of a three-run third. He clubbed a three-run homer, his fourth of the season, in the first inning of a 10-5 loss in the second game.

ESU (22-10), ranked No. 7 in this week's NCBWA Atlantic Region poll, won the opener behind the work of freshman right-hander Brandon Holup (4.0 IP, 1 run, 1 strikeouts), senior Colin Kelly (2.0 IP, 2 strikeouts) and junior Keith Moyer (1.0 IP, 2 strikeouts).

Le Moyne (13-19), in its second year in Division II after reclassifying from DI and last year's NCAA East Region runner-up (43-15-1), scored 10 runs on 15 hits in the second game.

ESU, second in DII in fielding percentage (.976), committed five errors in game two after an error-free first game. The Warriors made three errors in a four-run sixth inning for the Dolphins.

Knott was 5-for-10 with a double, triple, home run and four RBI in ESU's 3-1 series against defending DII champion West Chester last weekend. He is hitting .462 (30-for-65) with 17 extra-base hits and 28 RBI in 21 games since the start of PSAC East play on March 23, and is hitting .386 with 18 extra-base hits and 31 RBI in 32 games this season.

ESU hosts Bloomsburg on Saturday in the second half of this weekend's PSAC East series, which begins Friday in central Pennsylvania. The Warriors will hold their annual Alumni Day and Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Day at 1 p.m. at Mitterling Field.  (Complete release)

Game 1

ESU capitalized on four hits, eight walks and three wild pitches to score its six runs, and Holup improved to 2-1 on the mound.

Knott hit a leadoff triple, his fourth of the season and 11th of his career, in the second inning and scored on an RBI single by junior catcher Eric Forth. Forth moved to third on a pair of wild pitches and scored on a sacrifice fly by redshirt freshman 3B Drew Hercik, one of three sacrifice flies for ESU in the game.

In the third, redshirt sophomore Andy Brandstetter, senior OF Eric Boyer and junior DH Mike Tenaglia all walked to bring up Knott with the bases loaded and one out. He drove in Brandstetter and Boyer with a two-RBI double, and Tenaglia scored on a sacrifice fly by Forth to put the Warriors ahead 5-1.

ESU added its final run in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Tenaglia which plated Brandstetter, who was 0-for-5 but drew three walks and scored three runs in the doubleheader.

Holup left with a 6-1 lead, allowing one run on four hits, and struck out two without a walk. Kelly pitched the fifth and sixth and Moyer handled the seventh.

Game 2

Le Moyne scored five runs (three earned) on five hits and two ESU errors in the first inning before the Warriors bounced back to tie it at 5-5 after three.

ESU scored four runs in the bottom of the first as four of the first five batters reached base. Brandstetter drew a leadoff walk, senior 1B Brian Ernst singled and Boyer had an RBI single to score Brandstetter. After the first out of the inning, Knott homered to left field, the 11th of his career, to collect three RBI and make it 5-4.

In the third, Boyer walked, stole second and scored on an RBI single by Tenaglia. ESU ended up with the go-ahead runner on third with one out, but a pair of strikeouts ended the inning with the score tied, 5-5.

Neither team scored again until the sixth, when Le Moyne put up four runs on three hits and three ESU errors to go ahead, 9-5. The Dolphins added a run on four hits in the seventh before a double play got the Warriors out of the inning.

Redshirt sophomore Max Mueller, who threw a two-hit shutout in his first career start in a 1-0 win over Bloomfield last Thursday, went 4.0 innings and settled in after the first inning. ESU used five relievers to get the final nine outs.


Game Notes
* Boyer had three stolen bases to move into second on ESU's career list with 52. Jacob DeBoer holds the school record with 66 (2004-07). Boyer is third in career stolen base percentage (85.2, 52-61) and is 11-for-13 this season.

* Knott moved into ESU's top 10 in career extra-base hits (49) with 27 doubles, 11 triples and 11 home runs. He is the third ESU player with 25+ doubles, 10+ triples and 10+ homers in a career. He has 10 doubles, four triples and four home runs among his 39 hits this season.

* Ernst moved into eighth at ESU in career hits (178), surpassing Joe Ragozino (177, 1986-89). He entered ESU's top 10 in career strikeouts (146) last weekend and can become the fourth PSAC player with 150 career hits at the plate, and 150 career strikeouts on the mound.

* Ernst had his 41st career double, three from tying ESU's school record.