Box Scores
Clarion (game 1) - W 5-3
Clarion (game 2) - W 5-3

Virginia State (game 1) - L 3-2
Virginia State (game 2) - W 11-0 (Allen no-hitter)

PETERSBURG, Va. - Sophomore left-hander Ian Allen threw a no-hitter with 12 strikeouts, ESU's first no-hitter since 2011 and seventh since 1991, as the Warriors split a non-conference doubleheader at Virginia State on Sunday.

Allen handed Virginia State (8-2) its second loss of the season in the nightcap, an 11-0 victory for ESU (7-1), which improved to 6-0 with a sweep of Clarion on Saturday before Sunday's split.

Allen's no-hitter is ESU's first since All-American Jeremy Gigliotti blanked Mansfield on the final day of the regular season in 2011, helping pitch ESU into the PSAC Tournament and NCAA Division II Tournament.

Allen struck out 12, walked four and hit one in his second start of the season, and the sixth of his career. He improves to 4-0 in his career on the mound while also starting in right field in each of his first two years.

Virginia State won the opener, 3-2.

ESU took both games from Clarion on Saturday in Wilson, N.C. by 5-3 verdicts.

In game one, redshirt junior Matt Festa had a career-high 10 strikeouts and walked just one.

Sophomore Tyler Eckman had the save in both games against Clarion, giving him four saves in five appearances this season.

ESU hit .339 (39-for-115) in the first four games of its six-game southern trip over spring break. The Warriors return to Wilson, N.C. for two games against Pitt-Johnstown on Monday.

Offensive standouts are redshirt sophomore Jay Young (6-for-8, 3 RBI, 3 runs), freshman Christian Rishel (5-for-9, walk, 2 RBI), redshirt sophomore Conner Crookham (7-for-14, 2 doubles, 1 triple, 1 RBI, 5 runs), redshirt sophomore Casey Saverio (6-for-13, 3 walks, HBP, double, 2 RBI, 4 runs) and Allen (5-for-12, walk, HBP, HR, 5 RBI, 4 runs).


Clarion game 1 (W 5-3)

Festa struck out 10, including six straight batters early in the game, and ESU used a three-run fifth to push past Clarion in the opener.

Allen was 2-for-3 with a home run, two RBI and two runs and redshirt junior 1B Matt Walewski was 2-for-2 with a walk and a run before leaving due to injury.

Allen got ESU on the board with a solo homer to lead off the second inning. The Warriors tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the third as Walewski hit a one-out double and later scored.

Crookham had an RBI single, Allen scored on a wild pitch and freshman catcher Steven Zimmerman, Jr. walked to plate a run as ESU sent eight batters to the plate in the fifth.

Festa went 6.0 innings (4 hits, 2 runs) before giving way to two relievers in the seventh. Clarion scored once and had the tying run on first with two outs, before Eckman came on and Tyler Falk was thrown out stealing to end the game.


Clarion game 2 (W 5-3)

Saverio and Crookham both had two hits and senior Andrew Furber threw 3.1 innings in relief as the Warriors prevailed for the sweep.

ESU broke a 3-3 tie in the top of the seventh after Rishel led off with a single, pinch-runner Chase James stole second and scored on a one-out, pinch-hit RBI single by Young. Saverio belted a two-out single to plate Young after he stole second.

ESU scored single runs in the second, third and fourth innings. Crookham tripled and scored on a sacrifice fly by junior catcher Ryan Richards in the second, Saverio had an RBI double in the third and Crookham doubled and scored on a Richards groundout in the fourth.

Junior John Armbrust got the win with a perfect sixth inning in relief of sophomore Ben Bortz (1.2 IP, 2 unearned runs) and Furber (3.1 IP, 1 unearned run). Armbrust allowed a walk and a single, then got a flyout in the seventh before Eckman came on to retire the final two batters.


Virginia State game 1 (L 3-2)

ESU's 6-0 start to the season ended as Colton Gunn threw a complete game, allowing two runs on nine hits and three walks, for Virginia State.

ESU struck in the second inning as Allen singled and scored on a two-out single by Rishel.

VSU scored one run in the fourth and two in the sixth to go ahead, 3-1.

In the seventh, junior 1B Dylan Tamecki hit a two-out double to score Saverio, but was stranded on second as the tying run.

Tamecki and Rishel both had two hits, and Saverio was 1-for-2 with two walks.


Virginia State game 2 (W 11-0)

Allen's no-hitter was supplemented by a 16-hit attack, led by a 4-for-5 effort (2 RBI, 2 runs) from Young and a 3-for-4 show by Crookham.

Allen got nine of his final 10 outs via strikeouts while pitching around baserunners in five of the seven innings.

He struck out the side in the fifth, and again in the sixth around a two-out error. He hit the leadoff batter in the seventh, then got a flyout, a strikeout, a walk and his 12th strikeout to end it.

Saverio was 2-for-4 with three runs, and Crookham was 3-for-4 with two runs and a double for ESU's only extra-base hit.

Allen backed up his mound effort, going 2-for-3 with three RBI and a run at the plate.

Rishel was 2-for-4 with an RBI, Tamecki was 1-for-4  with a walk, an RBI and three runs, and redshirt junior 3B Drew Hercik (3 RBI) and Richards (1 RBI) also had hits.


ESU No-Hitters

1991 - Joel Bennett (combined) at Northwood, Fla. (W 11-1)
1991 - Joel Bennett at Kutztown (W 6-0)
2000 - Mike Zimorowicz at Bloomsburg (W 9-0)
2001 - Jason Ryan vs. Bloomsburg (W 1-0)
2001 - Craig Whitten vs. NJIT (10-0)
2011 - Jeremy Gigliotti at Mansfield (W 2-0)
2015 - Ian Allen at Virginia State (W 11-0)