Box Scores
W 13-0
L 6-1

KUTZTOWN - Redshirt senior Matt Festa threw a three-hitter for his first career shutout in a 13-0 win in the opener as No. 11-ranked East Stroudsburg University split a PSAC East baseball doubleheader at Kutztown on Thursday afternoon.

ESU (21-3, 5-1) tied a school record with its 11th straight win in game one before Kutztown (11-14, 2-4) scored six unearned runs in the second inning of a 6-1 win in the nightcap.

Festa improved to 6-0 in six starts and 18-5 in his three-year career at ESU. His 18 career wins are tied for third in school history and one from tying the school record.

Festa was backed by an offense that produced 23 baserunners (14 hits, 8 walks, 1 HBP) and scored six runs in the second inning, three in the fourth and four more in the fifth.

Junior Tyler Eckman didn't allow an earned run for the third time in his last four starts but took his first loss of the season, falling to 4-1 in six starts.

ESU has put together a pair of 10+ game winning streaks this spring and tied the school record of 11 straight wins set in 1927-28 and equaled in 2010. The Warriors won their first 10 games this season, tying the mark to open a year set in 2011.

The Warriors entered the week with one of the top offenses in DII, ranking 2nd in the country in runs per game (11.9), 2nd in batting average (.386), 1st in on-base percentage (.490) and 2nd in slugging percentage (.622).

The two schools will have an off day on Friday before ESU hosts the Golden Bears on Saturday at 1 p.m. on Military Appreciation Day at Mitterling Field.

GAME 1 - W 13-0

Festa didn't allow a runner to reach scoring position until one out in the seventh inning in a 13-0 game in a dominating effort. He yielded two-out singles in the first and fifth innings and a leadoff single in the seventh.

He struck out six and walked two, and became the 11th ESU pitcher to hit the 150-strikeout mark in his career.

Festa (6-0) lowers his ERA to 1.70 with 41 strikeouts, 10 walks and 31 hits allowed (3 doubles) in 37.0 innings this spring.

The bottom of the Warriors' lineup (sophomore OF Christian Rishel, redshirt junior OF Casey Saverio, sophomore catcher Steven Zimmerman, Jr. and redshirt junior 2B Jay Young) combined to go 9-for-14 with two walks, a double, seven RBI and 10 runs.

Saverio (3-for-5, 2 RBI, 2 runs) and Young (3-for-3, double, 4 RBI, 3 runs) had three hits each, Zimmerman was 1-for-2 with two walks, an RBI and three runs and Rishel was 2-for-4 with two runs.

ESU jumped on Kutztown starter Paul Piromalli (4.0 IP, 9 runs) with six runs on six hits in the second inning. Redshirt senior 3B Drew Hercik singled, redshirt senior 1B Matt Walewski walked and Rishel singled to load the bases, followed by RBI singles by Saverio and Zimmerman and a three-run, bases-clearing double by Young. Redshirt junior SS Conner Crookham plated the sixth run with an RBI single.

The Warriors added three more in the fourth as Zimmerman walked, Young singled and redshirt junior OF Robert Bennie was hit by a pitch. Two runs scored on an error, and Crookham had an RBI double.

It was 13-0 after the top of the fifth, which included a single by Rishel, RBI single by Saverio, walk by Zimmerman, RBI singles by Young and junior OF Ian Allen and walks by Crookham and Hercik.

GAME 2 - L 6-1

Kutztown scored six runs on four hits and two errors in the second inning, capped by a two-run homer by Alec O'Dell, to earn the split.

Eckman went 5.2 innings (0 earned runs), allowing eight hits, with seven strikeouts and no walks. Redshirt sophomore Dan Woodley got the final out of the sixth.

Eckman (4-1) lowers his ERA to 1.43 in six starts with 25 strikeouts and three walks in 37.2 innings.

ESU scored its run in the top of the fourth as Crookham drew a one-out walk, advanced on a wild pitch and passed ball and scored on an RBI single by Walewski.

The Warriors had a couple of opportunities off Kutztown starter Mike Kammerer (4.1 IP, 1 run, 4 hits, 8 strikeouts, 2 walks) but left two runners on base in both the fourth and fifth innings. Eric Lane (2.2 IP) got the final eight outs without allowing a baserunner.

GAME NOTES

* ESU career wins (pitching)
19-10 - Mike Balent (1982-85)
19-17 - Mike Zimorowicz (1999-02)
18-11 - Jeremy Gigliotti (2007-11)
18-5 - Matt Festa (2014-16)