Box Scores
Game 1 - L 6-5
Game 2 - W 7-2

Photo Gallery

EAST STROUDSBURG – Freshmen Ian Allen, Ben Bortz and Dan Woodley put together a strong pitching performance for a 7-2 win in the nightcap as East Stroudsburg University split its third straight PSAC East baseball doubleheader on Wednesday against No. 11-ranked Shippensburg.

Shippensburg (19-6, 7-3) scored two runs in the seventh inning for a 6-5 victory in the opener, before ESU's freshman trio responded to hold the Red Raiders to two runs on nine hits in game two.

A home run by Mike Marcinko gave Ship a 2-0 lead two batters into the game but ESU battled back, getting a run in the first on a two-out single by redshirt senior catcher Nico Delerme and a go-ahead two-run, two-out home run by senior OF Chris Knott in the fifth.

The Warriors stretched their 3-2 lead to 7-2 with four runs in the sixth, sparked by a leadoff double by senior catcher Eric Forth. Senior 1B Mike Tenaglia had an RBI single, sophomore 2B Nick Rabasco hit a two-out RBI double and redshirt sophomore 3B Drew Hercik capped the inning with a two-RBI single.

Allen threw the first two innings and Bortz pitched 3.0 scoreless innings to get the ball to Woodley for his first career save. Shippensburg loaded the bases with nobody out before Woodley got three straight strikeouts to end it.

Rabasco led a 21-hit offensive attack in the twinbill, going 5-for-7 with two doubles, three RBI and four runs. Delerme was 4-for-7 with two RBI and five Warriors had two hits each.

Knott hit his second home run of the season and 15th of his career, two off ESU's school record of 17 shared by Jeff Pfeiffer (1984-85) and Kevin Thompson (2005-09). He has already set four school records this year for RBI, total bases, extra-base hits and triples. He has hit safely in 15 straight games, and has 40 hits in 27 games this season.

The Warriors split the season series with Shippensburg, winning 7-4 and falling 7-6 (8 inn.) on Monday in south-central Pennsylvania. ESU split at West Chester (L 4-3, W 3-1) on Tuesday.

Shippensburg entered the week ranked No. 1 in the NCBWA Atlantic Region poll, with ESU ranked No. 3. Ship is the defending NCAA Division II Atlantic Region champion, while ESU is the defending PSAC champion.

ESU has an off day on Thursday and faces Lock Haven in a weekend series, hosting the Bald Eagles on Friday at 1 p.m.

Game 1 – L 6-5

Junior Andrew Furber (6.0 IP, 4 runs, 3 earned, 6 hits, 7 strikeouts) pitched the Warriors to a 5-4 lead through six innings, but Shippensburg plated two runs in the seventh and Austin Bartley closed the game with his sixth save of the season.

Delerme was 3-for-4 and Rabasco and redshirt sophomore Matt Walewski both had two hits for ESU.

Jimmy Spanos staked Ship to a 2-0 lead with a home run in the first inning, but ESU went ahead with two runs in both the fourth and fifth innings.

Rabasco hit a two-out, two-run single in the fourth, and Walewski had an RBI single to put the Warriors ahead in the fifth.

Spanos doubled and scored to get Shippensburg with 5-4 in the sixth, and Michael Douglas and Mike Marcinko had back-to-back hits to put the Red Raiders ahead in the seventh.

Delerme had a two-out single for his third hit of the game, but Bartley picked off an ESU pinch-runner to end it.

Game 2 – W 7-2

Rabasco was 3-for-3 with a walk, an RBI and three runs in the leadoff spot, Hercik was 2-for-4 with two RBI and Forth and Tenaglia also had two hits as ESU collected 12 hits off Shippensburg starter Shawn Patterson.

Rabasco had a leadoff single, moved to second on a bunt single by Hercik and scored on Delerme's two-out single in the first inning. He drew a one-out walk before Knott's go-ahead homer in the fifth, and had an RBI double as part of the four-run sixth.

Woodley entered with a 3-2 lead in the sixth and retired the side in order. In the seventh, Cody Ezolt singled, Jake Kennedy walked and Austin Allison singled to load the bases before Woodley struck out Trent Bond, Ryan McMillen and Douglas, the leadoff hitter.

Bortz improved to 3-0 in seven appearances (one start). He has allowed just eight hits without an earned run in 13.1 innings this season.