Box Scores
W 15-5
W 5-4 (9 inn.)

Photo Gallery

EAST STROUDSBURG - Redshirt senior third baseman Drew Hercik drove in the game-winning run with a sacrifice fly in a 5-4 (9 inn.) win in the nightcap, completing a doubleheader sweep for East Stroudsburg University vs. Bloomsburg in its PSAC East baseball opener on Friday at Mitterling Field.

ESU (17-2, 2-0), ranked No. 15 in this week's NCBWA DII poll, won the first game 15-5 behind a complete game effort by redshirt senior Matt Festa and an offense that racked up 25 baserunners on 17 hits, seven walks and a hit batter.

Hercik was 3-for-4 with two doubles, a walk, five RBI and two runs in the cleanup spot in the opener.

Festa improved to 5-0 in five starts, allowing three earned runs on nine hits with six strikeouts and three walks. Festa has a 2.10 ERA in 30.0 innings (35 strikeouts, eight walks) this spring.

In game two, ESU jumped out to a 4-0 lead with junior Tyler Eckman blanking the Huskies through the first five innings, before BU (10-7, 0-2) scored twice in the sixth and seventh to force extra innings.

In the bottom of the ninth, redshirt junior OF Robert Bennie drew a leadoff walk and stole second, advanced to third on a ground ball and scored on Hercik's fly ball to right field for the Warriors' second walk-off win of the week.

Junior Ben Bortz earned the win in relief, retiring all five batters he faced, including three strikeouts.

Bennie was 4-for-5 with three RBI and two runs in the leadoff spot in the first game, extending his season-opening hitting streak to 18 games. He was 0-for-4 but walked and scored the winning run in the nightcap. His 18-game hitting streak is tied for ESU's longest since 2003 with Ryan Guarino, who hit safely in the final 18 games of his career in 2012.

ESU and Bloomsburg complete this weekend's four-game series on Saturday at Bloomsburg.

GAME 1 - W 15-5

Bloomsburg scored one run in the first and two in the third to lead 3-0 before the Warriors - DII's second-leading offense (12.6 runs per game) - scored 15 runs over the next four innings to take control.

ESU put up six runs in both the third and sixth innings, and also scored once in the fourth and twice in the fifth.

All nine starters reached base at least two times with Bennie getting four hits at the top, redshirt junior SS Conner Crookham going 3-for-4 with a double, three RBI and two runs, Hercik 3-for-4 with two doubles, a walk, five RBI and two runs, redshirt senior 1B Matt Walewski 2-for-4 with a walk and two RBI and redshirt junior OF Casey Saverio 2-for-3 with a walk and two runs to pace the offense.

ESU scored six runs on eight hits in the third as redshirt junior 2B Jay Young and Bennie singled and junior OF Ian Allen walked to load the bases. Crookham had an RBI single, Hercik belted a two-RBI single and Walewski, sophomore OF Christian Rishel and sophomore catcher Steven Zimmerman, Jr. all contributing RBI singles in the frame.

In the fourth, Bennie hit a leadoff single and scored on a two-out double by Hercik.

The Warriors scored two in the fifth with Saverio (single) and Zimmerman (walk) reaching to start the inning. Bennie had an RBI single, Allen walked to load the bases and Crookham made it 9-3 with a sacrifice fly.

In the sixth, Rishel and Saverio walked and Young was hit by a pitch to set the table for the top of the order. Bennie had a two-RBI single, Crookham an RBI double, Hercik a two-RBI double and Walewski an RBI single to make it 15-3.

Bloomsburg scored two unearned runs off Festa in the top of the seventh as he sealed his first complete game of the season and the fifth of his career.

Festa improves to 17-5 in 25 career starts, moving within two wins of ESU's career record shared by Mike Balent (19-10, 1982-85) and Mike Zimorowicz (19-17, 1999-02).

GAME 2 - W 5-4 (9 inn.)

Eckman faced just two batters over the minimum through the first five innings, while the offense delivered three unearned runs on three hits in the second, including an RBI single by Young, and Zimmerman hit his fourth home run of the season in the fourth for a 4-0 lead.

In Bloomsburg's sixth, the Huskies got baserunners via a hit batter, bunt single and walk to set up a two-RBI single by Austin Edgette to make it 4-2.

Tristan Kevitch hit a one-out home run in the seventh, and BU tied it on a single and two errors before Eckman got out of the inning.

BU threatened but didn't score in the top of the eighth. Redshirt sophomore left-hander Dan Woodley struck out the first batter but walked the next two, bringing in Bortz, who struck out the next two batters.

Bortz threw a perfect ninth, including another strikeout, before the Warriors won it in the bottom half.

Eckman (7.0 IP, 4 runs, 3 earned, 6 hits, 2 strikeouts, 1 walk) remains 4-0 on the season in five starts. He has a 1.69 ERA in 32.0 innings, with 18 strikeouts and three walks.