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MILLERSVILLE - Senior Brian Ernst threw a three-hit shutout with a school-record 15 strikeouts in a 2-0 win in the opener, and East Stroudsburg University scored four two-out runs in the fifth inning for a 4-3 win in the nightcap, sweeping Friday's doubleheader at Millersville and earning a trip to the PSAC Tournament for the third time in four seasons.

ESU (29-14, 13-9) will finish the series with Millersville (34-14, 16-6), the PSAC East leader and No. 2 team in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region rankings, on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Mitterling Field. The Warriors entered the week listed No. 7 in the region rankings.

Ernst set the school record by striking out the final two batters he faced, securing his second career shutout, and junior Ryan Lubreski tied a school record for single-season wins by improving to 7-0 in the nightcap. Junior Keenan Stare pitched a perfect seventh for his first save of the season and fourth of his career.

ESU's 29 wins are the second-most in school history, surpassing the 1998 team (28-16) and three from the school record (32-22) set in 2009.

The Warriors clinched their playoff spot outright by getting to 13 divisional wins, the second-most in school history. ESU earned its playoff spot about five minutes before the final out of game 2 after Shippensburg (at Mansfield) and West Chester (at Kutztown) both dropped the second game of their doubleheaders.

The PSAC Tournament will be held May 8-11 at Point Stadium in Johnstown, Pa.

Saturday will be Senior Day, Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Day and Alumni Day at Mitterling Field.

Game 1

Junior outfielder Chris Knott provided the early offense with a first-pitch homer in the second inning, and Ernst struck out at least two in every inning, including all three batters in the third.

Ernst's 15 strikeouts are the most in the PSAC this season and tied for the second-most in Division II. He didn't allow a baserunner until a two-out double by Zach Stone in the fourth inning, hit one batter and didn't issue a walk.

He struck out Stone with runners on first and second in a 1-0 game to end the sixth inning, and retired the side in order on a groundout and two strikeouts in the seventh. He gave up just the two-out double in the fourth and two singles in the sixth.

Ernst struck out 10+ for the fourth straight game, improving to 3-0 with 48 strikeouts, seven walks, four runs and 14 hits allowed in 27.2 innings in that stretch. He has 69 strikeouts in 46.2 innings this year, ranking fourth at ESU in single-season strikeouts and fifth in career strikeouts (182) in 152.2 innings.

After Ernst got out of the bottom of the sixth, the Warriors added an unearned run in the seventh when senior 2B Joe Bennie led off with an infield single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and third on a groundout, and scored on a throwing error with two outs.

ESU had eight hits off Millersville junior Tim Mayza (6.2 IP, 2 runs, 1 earned, 7 strikeouts, 2 walks), who fell to 9-3. Mayza was the No. 6-ranked Division II prospect by Baseball America entering the season.

Ernst and redshirt freshman 3B Drew Hercik both had two hits. Ernst threw 104 pitches, with 68 for strikes, in his third complete game of the season and the sixth of his career.

Game 2

Millersville jumped out to a 3-0 lead with one run in the third and two in the fourth - but the Warriors made the most of two leadoff walks (junior C Eric Forth and Hercik) and three straight two-out singles in the top of the fifth.

With runners on first and third, Bennie belted a single to score Forth with the game's first run. Then Ernst singled to center to plate junior SS Eric Linares, who reached on a fielders choice, and after a wild pitch, senior OF Eric Boyer hit a two-RBI single to left-center to make it 4-3 before the Marauders got out of the inning.

Lubreski allowed nine hits over 6.0 innings, but only one after the Warriors took the lead. He threw a 1-2-3 fifth, then got a pair of strikeouts after a leadoff error in the sixth. Tyler Orris singled to put the tying run on second with two outs, but Lubreski got leadoff hitter Evan King to fly out to center to end the threat.

Stare, projected as ESU's closer to start the season, made his third relief appearance of the year (against six starts) and threw a 1-2-3 seventh inning with two strikeouts to end the game.

Lubreski, who pitched into the seventh inning in his previous seven starts, is 7-0 with a 1.74 ERA, five complete games and one shutout in 62.0 innings over 10 games (nine starts) this season.


Game Notes

* ESU enters Saturday 3rd in the PSAC East standings, which are currently: Millersville (34-14, 16-6), Kutztown (31-12, 15-7), ESU (29-14, 13-9), Shippensburg (27-19, 12-10), West Chester (20-22-1, 10-12), Bloomsburg (21-27, 8-16) and Mansfield (22-26, 6-16).

* Knott's home run was his 5th of the season and the 12th of his career. He leads the Warriors with 37 RBI this season.

* Boyer was 3-for-7 and added 2 stolen bases, giving him 58 in his career. He has 114 career RBI, moving within 1 of the #2 spot in school history. He was also named to the Capital One Academic All-District 1st team for the 3rd straight year on Thursday. (complete release)

* Ernst, Boyer, Bennie and Hercik all had 3 hits.

* Ernst improved to 4-2 on the year and got his 15th career win. He moved into 5th at ESU with 182 career strikeouts, and 4th with 69 strikeouts this year (46.2 innings). The only three seasons ahead of him came from Joel Bennett (100 in 78.1 innings in 1991), Jeremy Gigliotti (80 in 69.0 innings in 2011) and Bennett in 1990 (77 in 67.0 innings).

* In his previous three starts, Ernst struck out 12 at West Chester (took no-hitter into 7th inning), struck out 11 in complete game, 5-hitter (3-1 win) at Bloomsburg, and struck out 10 in complete game, 3-hitter (5-1 win) vs. Kutztown.

* Ernst is also 7th at ESU with 189 hits. Earlier this season, he became the 4th player in PSAC history with 150 hits and 150 strikeouts in his career.

* Ernst (189 hits, 182 strikeouts) is joined by Kutztown's Mike McCardell (175 hits, 278 strikeouts) and Eric Clemmer (163 hits, 211 strikeouts), and Slippery Rock's Nate Thimons (234 hits, 193 strikeouts) with 150 in each category.

* Lubreski is in a 6-way tie for ESU's school record of 7 wins, with Mike Balent (7-1, 1985), Ryan Fake (7-3, 1998), Keenan Stare (7-4, 2012), Mike Pavolko (7-4, 2000) and Ed Kuss (7-5, 1979).