Box Scores
W 27-5
W 2-1

Photo Galleries: Saturday  l  Sunday

EAST STROUDSBURG - East Stroudsburg University scored 27 runs in the opener, its most-ever vs. a PSAC school, and swept IUP (27-5, 2-1) in the first half of this weekend's four-game non-conference baseball series on Saturday afternoon at Mitterling Field.

Redshirt senior Matt Festa (5.0 IP, 1 run) was backed by an offense that reached base 35 times in six innings in game one.

Junior Tyler Eckman (7.0 IP, 0 earned runs) threw a complete game, shutting down IUP after an unearned run in the third inning, as the Warriors took the nightcap.

ESU (12-2), ranked No. 20 in this week's NCBWA Division II poll, concludes the four-game set vs. IUP (6-8) on Sunday at 12 p.m.

Junior DH Ian Allen hit a two-run homer in the first inning of the opener and redshirt junior SS Conner Crookham hit a three-run homer to spark a 12-run third inning as ESU had 17 hits, 14 walks and four hit batters against four IUP pitchers.

Crookham was 2-for-3 with two walks, a double, home run, six RBI and three runs and redshirt senior 3B Drew Hercik was 4-for-5 with a walk, four RBI and three runs in the victory.

ESU's 27 runs are tied for second-most in school history behind only a 29-run outburst vs. Felician last season.

The Warriors' previous high vs. a PSAC school was a 22-11 win at Kutztown in 1954.

ESU entered the weekend ranked second in NCAA Division II with 13.0 runs per game, scoring 156 runs in its first 12 contests.

Hercik was 5-for-8 with four RBI and four runs in the doubleheader. He is the ninth ESU player with 100 career RBI and ranks eighth (103) through Saturday.

Crookham and redshirt junior OF Robert Bennie had three hits each and redshirt junior OF Casey Saverio reached base six times on two hits and four walks.

Festa and Eckman both improved to 4-0 on the mound in four starts.

Eckman, last week's PSAC East Pitcher of the Week, didn't allow an earned run for the second straight start, lowering his ERA to 1.08 in 25.0 innings (16 strikeouts, 2 walks).

Festa has a 1.57 ERA in 23.0 innings (29 strikeouts, 5 walks). He improved to 16-5 in his career, a month into his third year at ESU, and ranks tied for sixth in career wins (three from tying the school record).

GAME 1 - W 27-5

IUP took a short-lived 1-0 lead, erased in the bottom of the first as Bennie walked and Allen homered - his first of the season and the ninth of his career.

The Warriors scored 12 runs on eight hits and seven walks in the third, then added nine more runs on four hits, three walks, three hit batters and two errors in the fourth to lead 23-1.

It was 27-1 before IUP scored four runs in the top of the seventh.

Bennie (2-for-4, double, walk, 2 RBI, 4 runs), Allen (1-for-2, HR, 2 walks, 2 RBI, 4 runs), Crookham (2-for-3, double, HR, 2 walks, 6 RBI, 3 runs), Hercik (4-for-5, walk, 4 RBI, 3 runs), sophomore OF Christian Rishel (1-for-3, walk, 2 HBP, RBI, 3 runs), Saverio (2-for-3, 3 walks, 3 RBI, 3 runs) and redshirt junior 2B Jay Young (2-for-3, double, HBP, 3 RBI, 2 runs) all reached base at least three times and ESU emptied its bench midway through the game.

ESU sent 18 batters to the plate in the 12-run third, tied for its highest-scoring inning since at least 2003. After Young popped out, Bennie singled, Allen walked and Crookham followed with his third home run of the season to make it 5-1.

Hercik, Rishel and Saverio singled to load the bases, sophomore C Steven Zimmerman, Jr. walked, Young and Bennie both had two-RBI doubles, Allen and Crookham walked, Hercik had a two-RBI single and redshirt senior 1B Matt Walewski, Rishel and Saverio all drew walks to account for the 15 baserunners.

In the fourth, Young was hit by a pitch to start the inning, and after two IUP errors, Crookham hit a two-RBI double to extend the lead.

Hercik and Walewski walked, the latter plating a run, Rishel was hit by a pitch (still with the bases loaded) and Saverio had a two-RBI single. Zimmerman was hit by a pitch, Young had an RBI single, Crookham walked to score a run and Hercik collected an RBI single.

The Warriors scored four more in the fifth, including a two-RBI double by senior Brett Bonn and an RBI single by Hercik.

Festa allowed four hits and struck out seven without issuing a walk.

Redshirt sophomore Dan Woodley struck out the side around a walk in the sixth, and sophomore Derrick Jackson pitched the seventh.

GAME 2 - W 2-1

Eckman and IUP sophomore Christian McClure both threw complete games, but the Warriors got to McClure for the tying and go-ahead runs in the fourth.

IUP scored an unearned run in the top of the third, while ESU stranded runners in scoring position in each of the first three innings.

In the fourth, Hercik singled and Walewski walked to start the inning. Saverio drew a one-out walk to load the bases, then Zimmerman walked to score the tying run. Young followed with a sacrifice fly to center to score Walewski for a 2-1 lead.

Eckman stranded the tying IUP run at third base in the fifth, pitched a 1-2-3 sixth and pitched around a pair of two-out singles in the seventh, which put the tying run at second, to get a fly ball to end the game.

Eckman tossed his second complete game in his seventh career start. He beat Slippery Rock, 13-4, with a 9.0 inning complete game in the winners bracket of the PSAC Tournament last spring, helping the Warriors reach the PSAC championship game.


GAME NOTES
* ESU entered the weekend ranked 2nd in DII in runs per game (13.0), batting average (.397), on-base percentage (.499) and slugging percentage (.667).
* The Warriors are averaging 13.2 runs and hitting .393/.503/.651 after Saturday's games.

* ESU's 12-run 3rd inning in game 1 is tied for the Warriors' most runs in an inning since at least 2003 (12-run 1st inning vs. Wilmington in 2009)
* ESU's 21 runs spanning 3rd and 4th innings (12+9) are the most in a 2-inning stretch since at least 2003 (15 vs. Wilmington - 12+3)

* Bennie (14), Rishel (12) and Allen (10) all have active hitting streaks of 10+ games.
* Hercik (10) has also had a hitting streak of at least 10 games this season.