Box Scores
W 3-1
W 5-3

BLOOMSBURG – Senior Brian Ernst threw a complete game with 11 strikeouts in a 3-1 win in the opener, becoming the fourth player in PSAC baseball history with 150 strikeouts and 150 hits in a career, as East Stroudsburg University swept Sunday's PSAC East doubleheader at Bloomsburg.

ESU (24-10, 9-5) improved to 17-4 since March 26 and won the second game, 5-3, with junior Ryan Lubreski improving to 5-0 on the season. Junior catcher Eric Forth was 3-for-3 with a double, home run and two RBI and went back-to-back with redshirt freshman 3B Drew Hercik in the fourth inning.

Ernst, who had 12 strikeouts in a 3-2 (8 inn.) win at West Chester last Saturday, is the first ESU pitcher with 10+ strikeouts in consecutive starts in at least 10 years.

He finished the day with 157 career strikeouts and 180 hits, joining Mike McCardell (Kutztown, 2004-07), Eric Clemmer (Kutztown, 1996-99) and Nate Thimons (Slippery Rock, 1996-99) as PSAC players to reach the 150 milestone in both categories.

Forth was 5-for-6 with three RBI on the day, going 2-for-3 with an RBI single in game one to precede his 3-for-3 outing in game two.

The Warriors host Bloomsburg (10-26, 3-15) in the second half of this weekend's series on Monday at 1 p.m. at Mitterling Field. Friday's and Saturday's action was pushed back due to heavy rainfall over the weekend.

Game 1

Ernst took a no-hitter into the seventh inning last Saturday at West Chester, and was almost as unhittable this Sunday. He struck out seven of the first 10 batters he faced before Bloomsburg had its first baserunner on a walk by Tim Ravel with one out in the fourth.

Nick Eversole broke up the no-hitter with a single and Ravel scored on a wild pitch to get Bloom on the board, but the Huskies wouldn't be able to draw even. Ernst left the bases loaded in the fifth, struck out two in a 1-2-3 inning in the sixth, and pitched around a two-out single with a game-ending strikeout in the seventh.

On offense, Ernst scored the game's first run in the top of the first after a one-out single. Senior OF Eric Boyer singled, both runners moved up on a passed ball, and Ernst scored on a sacrifice fly by junior DH Mike Tenaglia.

The Warriors made it 2-0 with a two-out run in the third as Tenaglia, Knott and Forth strung together singles to plate another run.

In the fourth, Hercik drew a leadoff walk, stole second and scored on an RBI single by freshman OF John Armbrust for a 3-0 lead.

The Warriors had seven of their eight hits in the first four innings and Forth was the only player with a multi-hit game for ESU.

Ernst finished with a five-hitter, struck out 11 and walked one in his fourth career complete game. He moved into ESU's top 10 with his 13th win and 30th start, and into the #8 spot with 157 career strikeouts. He also ranks 8th with 180 career hits.

Game 2

Lubreski finished one out away from his fifth complete game win of the season, improving to 5-0 with a 1.65 ERA in 49.0 innings in his first season at ESU. A transfer from UMass, Lubreski has pitched in eight games, making seven starts, and the Warriors are 3-1 in his four starts against the PSAC East.

ESU never trailed in the doubleheader and took the lead for good in the fourth, when Forth and Hercik went back-to-back to give the Warriors a 3-1 lead. Both players hit their first home runs of the season – it was Forth's second of his career, and Hercik's first.

The Warriors got on the board in the third when senior 2B Joe Bennie led off with a single, stole second and scored on an RBI double by Tenaglia. Bloomsburg tied it in the bottom half before ESU went ahead in the fourth.

Both teams traded runs in the fifth and sixth innings as well. In the fifth, Knott hit a two-out single, stole second and scored on an RBI double by Forth. In the sixth, redshirt sophomore OF Andy Brandstetter drew a leadoff walk, advanced on a sacrifice bunt by junior SS Eric Linares and scored on a single by Bennie.

Lubreski stranded the tying run on second base with a 4-2 lead in the fifth, and got out of another jam in the sixth. He got the first two outs in the seventh before a single and a walk brought on junior right-hander Keith Moyer, who got a groundout to third for the final out and his third save of the season.

Forth led the offense, going 3-for-3, and Bennie and Brandstetter both had two hits.

Lubreski scattered 10 hits but allowed just three runs (two earned) before Moyer came on for the last out.


Game Notes
* Ernst (180 hits, 157 strikeouts) joins Kutztown's McCardell (175 hits, 278 strikeouts) and Clemmer (163 hits, 211 strikeouts), and Slippery Rock's Thimons (234 hits, 193 strikeouts) with 150 in each category.

* Ernst ranks 8th at ESU in both strikeouts and hits.

* He pitched just 7.2 innings as a sophomore and missed about a month on the mound this season. As a junior in 2012, he became the second player in school history with 50 hits and 50 strikeouts in a season (55 hits, 58 strikeouts), joining Tim Bishop in 1984.

* Offensively, he ranks 4th in doubles (41), 5th in extra-base hits (53), 7th in total bases (254), tied for 3rd in RBI (110), 14th in runs (102) and 4th in walks (81).