Box Scores
W 12-3
L 10-2

Photo Gallery

EAST STROUDSBURG - No. 13-ranked East Stroudsburg University set a program record for wins with a 12-3 victory in the opener and redshirt senior third baseman Drew Hercik and redshirt junior outfielder Robert Bennie hit personal milestones as the Warriors split a PSAC East baseball doubleheader vs. West Chester on the final day of the regular season Saturday at Mitterling Field.

ESU (35-14, 18-10) broke the school record for wins set by the 2013 PSAC championship team (34-18) and will travel to Butler for the PSAC Tournament on May 8-11.

ESU will be the PSAC East's No. 3 seed, with West Chester (31-11, 20-8) gaining the No. 2 seed with three wins this weekend.

The Warriors entered the weekend listed No. 2 in the NCAA DII Atlantic Region rankings, with West Chester No. 3.

Hercik, one of nine seniors recognized before Saturday's doubleheader, became the sixth ESU player with 200 career hits, going 4-for-6 on Saturday and 6-for-11 in the four-game series vs. West Chester.

Bennie set ESU single-season records for hits (80) and runs (61), breaking the previous hits record (77) shared by Brett Reynolds in 2000 and Mark Angelo in 2009. He broke the record for runs (59) shared by Tadgh LaBar in 2000 and Mike Bortz in 2009.

Hercik also tied ESU's career record for walks (99) held by Joe Ragozino (1986-89) and broke the single-season record for walks (45), previously held by Zac Menendez (42) in 2012. Hercik moved within one run of ESU's career record as well.

Redshirt senior pitcher Cody Klinger improved to 5-2 on the season and 3-1 in five starts vs. the PSAC East with a complete game effort in the opener, throwing all 7.0 innings (3 runs, 8 hits, 9 strikeouts, 3 walks) to get the Warriors an important win as they enter the postseason.

The offense had 14 hits, including three home runs, in game one - a multi-homer game by redshirt junior SS Conner Crookham (4-for-5, double, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 3 runs) and a homer by sophomore catcher Steven Zimmerman, Jr. (2-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 runs). Zimmerman also homered in game two.

ESU finishes the regular season with a school-record 53 home runs, led by Bennie (10), Crookham (9), Zimmerman (9), sophomore OF Christian Rishel (9) and Hercik (6).

The Warriors also set a single-season record for runs scored (435) this weekend, surpassing the previous mark of 426 runs set by the 2009 team that finished 32-22 in 54 games.

ESU entered the week ranked ninth in DII in runs per game (9.2), third in batting (.356), first in on-base percentage (.457) and 12th in slugging percentage (.457).

The Warriors will face Seton Hill (35-14, 19-9), the No. 2 seed in the PSAC West, in their PSAC Tournament opener next Sunday (May 8) in Butler.

ESU has advanced to the PSAC Tournament for the fifth time in seven seasons, winning the PSAC championship in 2013 (the Warriors' first since 1971) and finishing as the runner-up last spring.

GAME 1 - W 12-3

ESU secured its record-setting 35th win of the season by scoring in five of its six innings of work, including a five-run second and a four-run fourth.

On the mound, Klinger yielded a run each in the first, third and fourth innings but also stranded two runners on base in each frame, leaving eight Golden Rams on base in all.

Bennie walked, stole second and scored on an RBI single by Crookham in the first inning to tie the game at 1-1, then contributed an RBI double in the five-run second innings.

The Warriors' first seven batters reached base as Zimmerman singled, redshirt junior 2B Jay Young was hit by a pitch, Bennie and junior OF Ian Allen both had RBI singles and Crookham had an RBI ground-rule double. Hercik walked to load the bases and redshirt senior 1B Matt Walewski drew a bases loaded walk. Redshirt junior OF Casey Saverio lifted a sacrifice fly for ESU's fifth run of the inning.

Crookham led off the fourth with a solo homer, followed by a double by Hercik, a two-out RBI double by Saveiro and Zimmerman's two-run shot.

Saverio added a bases loaded walk in the fifth after Hercik, Walewski and Rishel all singled with one out.

Crookham's solo homer in the sixth, his second of the game, completed ESU's scoring.

Along with Crookham's four hits, Hercik, Walewski and Zimmerman all had two hits each.

GAME 2 - L 10-2

ESU had 14 baserunners on 11 hits, two walks and a hit batter, but left nine of them on base in the nightcap.

Zimmerman hit a solo homer in the second and senior 3B Brett Bonn had a pinch-hit RBI single in the sixth.

West Chester scored in six of its seven innings, collecting 11 hits and seven walks. The top four batters in the lineup - Drew Diehl, Nick Ward, Justin Roman and Shane Dressler - all had two hits each.

Bennie, Hercik and Zimmerman had two-hit games for the Warriors, including Zimmerman's homer and Hercik's two doubles.

Andrew Gernert improved to 8-0 in nine starts for West Chester, throwing 6.0 innings and scattering 11 hits.

Senior Brandon Holup started for ESU (5.0 IP, 8 hits, 5 runs) and was followed by four relievers.


GAME NOTES

* ESU has its 4th 30-win season in school history, all in the last 8 years:
35-14 - 2016
34-18 - 2013
32-22 - 2009
31-19 - 2015

* ESU finishes the regular season averaging 8.9 runs per game and hitting .355 with a .455 on-base percentage and .538 slugging percentage.

* Bennie finishes the regular season hitting .410 with a .470 on-base percentage and .677 slugging percentage (80 hits, 18 doubles, 2 triples, 10 HR, 51 RBI, 61 runs, 15 stolen bases).

* Hercik (61-for-154) and Young (57-for-144) are both hitting .396.
* Hercik has a .538 on-base percentage and .643 slugging percentage (18 doubles, 1 triple, 6 HR, 44 RBI, 56 runs, 45 walks and 10 stolen bases).
* He ranked 3rd in the PSAC in on-base percentage (.526) entering the week.

* All 9 of the Warriors' regular starters are hitting over .300:
Bennie (.410)
Hercik (.396)
Young (.396)
Crookham (.385)
Rishel (.368)
Walewski (.342)
Saverio (.320)
Zimmerman (.313)
Allen (.310)

* All 9 of the Warriors' regular starters have an on-base percentage over .430:
Hercik (.538)
Crookham (.475)
Bennie (.470)
Zimmerman (.465)
Walewski (.453)
Saverio (.453)
Young (.452)
Allen (.439)
Rishel (.432)

* R-Sr. RHP Matt Festa finished the regular season with a 10-1 record in 11 starts  (2.15 ERA, 71.0 innings, 55 hits, 86 strikeouts, 21 walks)