Box Scores
Game 1 - L 5-4
Game 2 - L 11-9

JOHNSTOWN - Pitt-Johnstown ended East Stroudsburg University's school record-tying unbeaten start with a doubleheader sweep (5-4, 11-9) in non-conference baseball on Monday afternoon at Point Stadium.

ESU (10-2), ranked No. 23 in last week's NCBWA Division II poll, won both games at UPJ Sunday (10-4, 12-2) to improve to 10-0, matching the 2011 team for the longest winning streak to start a season.

UPJ (4-7) won the opener on a two-out, walk-off single by Joe Gagliardi in the bottom of the seventh, and scored the go-ahead runs on a two-out, three-run homer by Dylan Kerstetter in the bottom of the sixth in the nightcap.

Redshirt junior OF Robert Bennie was 4-for-8 with a double, home run, RBI and three runs to lead ESU offensively in the doubleheader.

The Warriors entered this week as the DII leader in batting average (.417), on-base percentage (.519) and slugging percentage (.700), ranked second in runs per game (14.3) and home runs per game (2.20) and seventh in stolen bases per game (2.90).

ESU remained No. 3 in this week's NCBWA DII Atlantic Region poll, released earlier Monday. The Warriors also gained last week's PSAC East Athletes of the Week in junior pitcher Tyler Eckman, who allowed two unearned runs in 6.0 innings in the 12-2 win vs. UPJ on Sunday, and sophomore outfielder Christian Rishel.

Bennie, a Stroudsburg graduate and transfer from DI Virginia, has hit safely in the first 12 games of the season with eight multiple-hit games, including both games Monday.

Rishel continues to lead the Warriors in batting (.535/.592/1.000), ranking in the top 10 in DII in all three categories (t-4th in batting, .583; 7th in on-base pct, .634; 8th in slugging pct, 1.028) entering the week.

Redshirt senior 1B Matt Walewski is hitting .528, followed by Bennie (.460), redshirt junior SS Conner Crookham (.438), junior P/OF Ian Allen (.400) and redshirt junior 2B Jay Young (.400).

ESU is hitting .397 as a team after Monday's games.

The Warriors host IUP for four games this weekend (Saturday/Sunday) in their first home action at Mitterling Field.

GAME 1 - L 5-4

ESU tied the game at 4-4 with a run in the top of the seventh, but UPJ used a hit batter and a pair of two-out hits to plate the winning run in the bottom half.

Bennie started the game with a leadoff homer, his second leadoff shot of the season and fifth overall, and Allen singled, stole second and scored on a sacrifice fly by Walewski for a 2-0 lead.

UPJ scored three runs (two earned) off Allen in the bottom of the third. The Warriors couldn't score Rishel after a leadoff double in the fourth, but scratched out the tying run in the fifth when Bennie singled, stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on an error.

UPJ got the run back with a two-out solo homer by Luke Williams in the bottom of the fifth for a 4-3 edge.

ESU tied it in the seventh as Allen singled, stole second and scored on an RBI double by Crookham.

In the bottom of the seventh, Dillon Boyer was hit by a pitch with one out, Williams singled with two outs and Gagliardi singled to right-center for the game-winning RBI.

Allen went 5.0 innings on the mound, allowing four runs (three earned) with six hits, five strikeouts and no walks. Allen has yet to walk a batter in 16.0 innings over three starts (21 strikeouts, 2.81 ERA) this season.

Redshirt senior Cody Klinger threw a scoreless sixth before UPJ won it in the seventh.

Bennie (2-for-4, HR, RBI, 2 runs) and Allen (2-for-3, walk, 2 runs, 3 stolen bases) combined for four of ESU's seven hits at the top of the order.

UPJ had nine hits with Jake Stern, Williams and Gagliardi all collecting a pair.

GAME 2 - L 11-9

The Warriors fought back from an 8-3 deficit with a five-run fifth inning, but Kerstetter's homer in the sixth proved to be the difference.

UPJ took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on an RBI single by Gagliardi before the Warriors scored three runs on three hits in the second. Hercik walked, Walewski singled and Rishel walked to load the bases; then redshirt junior OF Casey Saverio and sophomore C Steven Zimmerman, Jr. both had fielders choice RBI's and junior 2B Billy Sablinki had an RBI single for a 3-1 lead.

UPJ plated three in the third, including a two-run homer by Williams, and four in the fourth, with a pair of two-run singles by Williams and Gagliardi, to go ahead 8-3.

ESU answered in the top of the fifth, tying it at 8-8 with five runs on three hits, two walks and two UPJ errors. Bennie doubled and Allen singled to start the inning, and Young had a pinch-hit, two-out, RBI double to knot the game at 8-8.

The Warriors stranded UPJ's leadoff baserunner in the bottom of the fifth but went 1-2-3 in the top of the sixth. In UPJ's half inning, Gagliardi and Prickett had two-out singles, followed by Kerstetter's home run.

Rishel hit a one-out solo homer, his fifth of the season, in the top of the seventh for ESU.

Shane Supanick was the winning pitcher for UPJ, throwing 2.2 innings in relief (1 run, 2 hits, 2 strikeouts) after getting the Mountain Cats out of the fifth.

Bennie was 2-for-4 with a double in the leadoff spot, and Rishel was 1-for-3 with a homer, walk, two RBI and three runs.


NCBWA Division II Atlantic Region poll
1. Millersville (12) (10-1) - 120 points - previously 1
2. Mercyhurst (9-3) - 104 - 2
3. East Stroudsburg (10-0) - 100 - 3
4. Seton Hill (7-4) - 84 - 4
5. West Chester (4-1) - 69 - 5
6. Shepherd (4-4) - 49 - t-6
7. Winston-Salem (8-11) - 45 - t-6
8. Gannon (10-4) - 34 - NR
9. UVA-Wise (9-4) - 13 - RV
10. West Liberty (4-1) - 12 - RV

Dropped out: #9 California PA; #t-10 Notre Dame OH; #t-10 Bloomsburg

Also receiving votes: Mansfield (6-2) 8 points; WV State (2-5) 5; Bloomsburg (6-5) 4; Notre Dame OH (4-7) 2; Fairmont State (7-1) 2; California PA (4-7) 1; Lock Haven (4-3) 1; Chowan (6-10) 1.