Box Scores
W 5-1
W 7-1

Highlights

EAST STROUDSBURG – Senior Brian Ernst and junior Ryan Lubreski both threw complete games and held Kutztown to two runs on eight hits, leading East Stroudsburg University to a doubleheader sweep (5-1, 7-1) of the No. 25-ranked Golden Bears in the first half of this weekend's PSAC East baseball series on Friday at Mitterling Field.

Ernst allowed just three hits and struck out 10, his third straight start with at least 10 strikeouts, and added an RBI single in a four-run third inning in the opener for the Warriors (27-12, 11-7), who moved closer to their third PSAC Tournament trip in four years.

Lubreski improved to 6-0 on the season and lowered his ERA to 1.45, allowing just an unearned run in the sixth inning of the nightcap. The Warriors jumped on Kutztown with four runs in the first and three in the second, and Lubreski surrendered just one hit through his first 5.0 innings of work.

Lubreski threw his fifth complete game of the season and has worked into the seventh inning of his last seven starts, including all five against the PSAC East. He is 4-0 with a 1.06 ERA in 34.0 innings in his divisional starts after transferring to ESU from UMass last fall.

Junior catcher Eric Forth led the offense, going 4-for-5 with a walk and three RBI. Forth is 10-for-17 with eight RBI in the last seven games to raise his batting average to .360.

ESU and Kutztown (27-11, 12-6) will complete their penultimate PSAC East series with a doubleheader at Kutztown on Saturday at 1 p.m. It's also a key series for the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region rankings, with Kutztown fourth and ESU seventh in the first set of rankings released on Wednesday.

Game 1

Ernst is 2-0 with 33 strikeouts, seven walks and 11 hits allowed in 20.2 innings in his last three starts, extending his streak of starts with 10+ strikeouts to three. He took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and struck out 12 at West Chester on April 13, then fanned 11 in a 3-1 win at Bloomsburg last Sunday.

Ernst was the only ESU pitcher with back-to-back 10 strikeout games in the last 10 years. He has four 10+ strikeout games this season and 54 in just 39.2 innings of work after missing almost a month on the mound due to injury in March. He moved into sixth in school history with 167 strikeouts and is one of four players in PSAC history with 150+ hits (185) and 150+ strikeouts in a career.

After Kutztown struck first on a two-out single by John Dockins in the second, the Warriors rebounded with four runs in the third.

The inning included a school-record five stolen bases, RBI singles by senior 2B Joe Bennie, Ernst and junior OF Chris Knott, a hit batter, two wild pitches and two Kutztown errors. Bennie singled to score redshirt sophomore OF Andy Brandstetter, then stole second and third and scored on a single by Ernst. Senior OF Eric Boyer reached on an error and stole second, with Ernst scoring on a throwing error, then stole third and scored on a base hit by Knott for a 4-1 lead.

ESU got another run in the fourth as Forth singled, advanced on a sacrifice bunt by redshirt freshman 3B Drew Hercik and scored on a two-out single by junior SS Eric Linares.

Kutztown had its second hit of the game in the fifth, but Todd Rubendall was thrown out stealing after a leadoff single. KU's only other hit came on an infield single by Rubendall in the seventh.

ESU had seven hits off four Kutztown pitchers led by Bennie, who was 2-for-4 with three stolen bases. Boyer and Knott also had two steals.

Game 2

The Warriors broke it open early and Lubreski was sharp on the mound to complete the sweep. ESU made the most of its seven hits, with five coming in the first two innings.

Ernst, Boyer and Knott all drew walks off Kutztown starter Tom Neely, who was charged for six runs on three hits and four walks in just 1.0 inning of work. Forth belted a two-run, two-out single to open the scoring, and Hercik and freshman OF John Armbrust followed with RBI singles for a 4-0 lead after one inning.

Bennie walked and Ernst was hit by a pitch to start the second, bringing on Connor Wing in relief of Neely. Junior DH Mike Tenaglia clubbed a one-out RBI double to score Bennie, Knott walked and Forth collected his second RBI single in as many innings. Hercik added a sacrifice fly to score Tenaglia and put the Warriors ahead, 7-0.

Lubreski faced just one batter over the minimum through the first 5.0 innings, issuing a one-out walk in the second and allowing a single in the third which was erased with a caught stealing.

The right-hander struck out seven, his second-highest total of the year, and allowed just two walks. Kutztown scored an unearned run on a walk, two hits and an error in the sixth, and the Golden Bears failed to capitalize on back-to-back singles to start the seventh as Lubreski got two strikeouts and a groundout to seal the win.

Forth was 3-for-3 with three RBI and Tenaglia went 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles, giving him 17 on the season.


Game Notes

* ESU guaranteed at least a split with Kutztown for the third straight year. The Warriors had 3-1 series wins in 2011 and 2012. Prior to that, Kutztown was 36-2 against the Warriors in divisional games from 2001-10.

* Ernst improved to 3-2 on the season and 14-7 in his career for a .667 winning percentage, the best in school history among pitchers with at least 14 victories. He has posted 10.4 strikeouts per 9 innings (167 in 145.2 innings), currently the highest average in school history.

* Ernst is averaging 12.4 strikeouts per 9 innings this season (54 in 39.2 innings) with a .189 opponents batting average. At the plate, he is hitting .297 with a .408 on-base percentage, 17 walks and just six strikeouts in 101 at bats.

* Lubreski is 6-0 this season, currently one of two ESU pitchers with at least five decisions without a loss. Jason Tribbet went 5-0 in 1998.