Box Scores
Game 1 - W 9-7 (9 inn.)
Game 2 - W 9-7

Saturday's recap

MURFREESBORO, N.C. – East Stroudsburg University extended its undefeated start to 7-0 on Sunday at Chowan, posting a pair of 9-7 wins – the first taking extra innings – to complete this weekend's four-game non-conference baseball sweep in North Carolina.

The Warriors, who won a three-game series at Saint Augustine's last weekend, have the second-best start in school history behind the 2011 team that started 10-0 and advanced to the NCAA Division II Tournament. ESU also advanced last year on the merit of its first PSAC championship since 1971.

ESU used a strong bullpen and an offense that generated 19 hits, 10 walks and a hit batter to improve to 7-0. The Warriors won 7-5 and 5-4 on Saturday, getting a two-run home run from senior OF Chris Knott in the top of the seventh inning in the nightcap.

Senior Keenan Stare had the save in each of the first three games this weekend, giving him nine career saves, one off ESU's school record.

The Warriors' bullpen had a 2.16 ERA in 16.2 innings in the four-game series, allowing four earned runs with 15 strikeouts and three walks. ESU pitchers issued just seven walks in 30.0 innings for the weekend.

GAME 1 – W 9-7 (9 inn.)

ESU jumped out to a 7-0 lead before Chowan scored seven runs in the fifth, taking advantage of four ESU errors, to force extra innings.

In the ninth, redshirt freshman 2B Jay Young reached on an error to start the inning, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by redshirt sophomore 3B Drew Hercik, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly by Knott.

The Warriors added an insurance run as senior 1B Mike Tenaglia walked, senior C Eric Forth singled and pinch-runner Nick Espino scored on an RBI single by redshirt senior DH Nico Delerme.

Hercik and Delerme had two hits each in the game, as ESU had eight hits and gained nine free baserunners on eight walks and a hit batter.

Hercik opened the scoring with a three-run homer in the third inning, and the Warriors tagged on two more runs on an RBI single by Delerme and a sacrifice bunt by sophomore OF John Armbrust.

ESU made it 7-0 in the fourth on a two-run double by Knott.

ESU used seven pitchers with senior Matt Smith (3.0 IP, 3 hits, 0 runs, 3 strikeouts, 1 walk) getting the start.

Freshman Ben Bortz got the win with 2.0 strong innings in relief. He entered in the seventh in a 7-7 game after a leadoff single, but got a strikeout and a foul out to end the inning after a sacrifice bunt put the winning run on second with one out.

Stare struck out two in the ninth inning for his third save of the weekend, pitching around a hit batter with one out.

GAME 2 – W 9-7

Freshman left-hander Dan Woodley threw 4.1 innings of scoreless relief, allowing just one hit and striking out seven with a walk, as the Warriors completed the sweep.

ESU led 8-7 through three innings after Woodley came on to get out of trouble in the third. He struck out two in a 1-2-3 fourth, struck out three around a two-out single in the fifth, got three straight groundball outs in the sixth and ended the game with a strikeout after ESU allowed a baserunner on an error in the seventh.

The Warriors manufactured two runs in the first with Espino leading off with a walk, stealing second, moving to third on a passed ball and scoring on a wild pitch before another ball was put in play.

Hercik followed with a walk and scored on a two-out single by Delerme.

Delerme had the big hit in a six-run second inning, hitting a three-run homer, the fourth of his career. ESU scored six runs on three hits in the inning, capitalizing on two errors by Chowan.

Chowan chipped away with two runs in the first, two in the second and three in the third off junior Andrew Furber before Woodley came on in relief.

Espino helped give ESU a 9-7 lead in the sixth, reaching with a leadoff single, stealing second and scoring on a groundout by Hercik.

Redshirt junior OF Andy Brandstetter had three hits and Delerme and sophomore 2B Nick Rabasco had two hits each.

Delerme was 8-for-15 with seven RBI, including his 100th career hit, and Knott was 5-for-15 with eight RBI to lead the Warriors in the series.

Delerme is hitting .417 (10-for-24) with eight RBI overall, and Knott is batting .400 (10-for-25) with three doubles, a triple, a home run, 12 RBI and eight runs scored after being named to the NCBWA preseason All-America second team entering the season.