Box Scores
W 5-3
T 6-6 (7 inn.)

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EAST STROUDSBURG - Senior outfielder Ian Allen hit a walk-off three-run home run in a 5-3 win in the opener, while the nightcap ended in a tie (6-6) due to impending darkness after seven innings as East Stroudsburg University went 1-0-1 in the first half of this weekend's PSAC East baseball series vs. Bloomsburg.

ESU trailed 3-1 going to the bottom of the sixth, got a run back on a solo homer by junior C Steven Zimmerman, Jr. to pull within 3-2 entering the seventh, and won it on Allen's walk-off homer - ESU's first since at least the 2003 season.

In game two, Bloomsburg (12-10-1, 2-3-1 PSAC) scored four in the first and two in the fourth to lead 6-2 before the Warriors rallied, getting three in the bottom of the fourth and tying it at 6-6 in the bottom of the fifth.

Neither team scored in the sixth or seventh, and the game was halted just before 6:50 p.m. with darkness imminent in the Warriors' (11-10-1, 1-4-1) home opener at Mitterling Field.

The four-game weekend series is scheduled to conclude Sunday at 1 p.m. at Bloomsburg, weather-permitting.

GAME 1 - W 5-3

Senior Tyler Eckman, the PSAC ERA leader (3-0, 0.72 ERA in 25.0 innings) entering the week, went 6.0 innings and allowed three runs before being relieved by freshman Connor Johnson, who pitched around a two-out single and ended as the pitcher of record for the Warriors.

Bloomsburg's Mike Warren threw a strong game, limiting ESU to one run through his first five frames, but yielded Zimmerman's home run in the sixth and then Allen's walk-off shot.

Bloomsburg took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first as Tyler Benson hit a one-out triple and scored on a sacrifice fly by Damin Muth.

ESU got the run back in the bottom half when Allen reached on a one-out error, stole second and third and scored on an RBI single by redshirt senior 1B Dylan Tamecki. Allen led the PSAC in stolen bases (17) entering Thursday.

BU scored in the top of the second as Andrew Holmes hit a two-out single and scored on an RBI double by Chad Cooperman before Eckman got out of a second-and-third situation.

Eckman stranded a leadoff runner on third in the third inning and left two runners on in the fourth, but BU got on the board again in the fifth as Muth was hit by a pitch and scored on a two-out RBI single by Ryuta Amaike.

ESU left one in the second, two in the third and one in the fifth before striking on Zimmerman's leadoff homer to left to start the sixth - his second of the season and the 11th of his career after launching nine as a sophomore.

After Johnson held the Huskies in the top of the seventh, ESU threatened immediately in the bottom half before Allen ended it. Junior Laine Renaud had a pinch-hit single (and was replaced by pinch-runner senior Billy Sablinski), redshirt senior 2B Jay Young doubled and Allen went the opposite way for his second career walk-off hit.

Allen's homer was his sixth of the season and the 16th of his career, moving into a tie for fourth-most in school history.

Allen entered the weekend among the PSAC leaders in nearly every category, including first in total bases (59), extra-base hits (17) and stolen bases (17). He was fifth in hitting (.437) going into the series, fourth in slugging percentage (.831), tied for third in hits (31) and home runs (5) and fourth in RBI (26).

Eckman and Johnson limited Bloomsburg to six hits. The Warriors had seven, all from seven individual players.

GAME 2 - T 6-6

Allen got the start a half-hour after ending the opener, but Bloomsburg scored four runs (three earned) in the top of the first, including a three-run homer by Cole Swiger - to jump out to an early lead.

Allen was relieved after a scoreless second by freshman Carson Freeman, who went the rest of the way (5.0 IP, 2 runs, 2 hits, 4 strikeouts, 2 walks).

The Warriors plated two runs on three hits and a Bloomsburg passed ball in the third to close within 4-2. Freeman and junior OF Charles Edwards singled, both moved up on the passed ball, Young had an RBI infield single and redshirt senior OF Casey Saverio had an RBI groundout to get ESU on the board.

BU scored a pair in the top of the fourth to lead 6-2, getting a solo homer from Blake Gular and a two-out RBI double by Austin Edgette.

ESU sent nine batters to the plate in the bottom of the fourth, scoring three runs to close within 6-5. The Warriors had one hit, a leadoff single by Tamecki, drew four walks and a hit batter before leaving the bases loaded. Zimmerman walked, Renaud was hit by a pitch, and Freeman and freshman SS Joey Paolini drew bases loaded walks before BU starter Ashton Raines (3.1 IP) was relieved by Brett Alaimo, who got the final two outs with the bases loaded.

Freeman had a 1-2-3 inning in the fifth, and ESU tied it in the bottom. Tamecki and Zimmerman walked to open the inning and Renaud had the game-tying RBI single, scoring pinch-runner redshirt freshman Tom Nuneviller from second. Jeremy Zezza eventually relieved Alaimo and held the game at 6-6.

BU had baserunners in the sixth and seventh but didn't score, and ESU didn't threaten as the two teams played to a 6-6 tie through seven complete innings. As a regulation game, the contest ended in a tie after the determination of impending darkness was made.

ESU had 12 baserunners on five hits, six walks and a hit batter. BU put eight runners on - four hits, three walks and an HBP. Neither team had a multi-hit game.

Zezza was Bloomsburg's most effective pitcher, retiring all eight batters he faced to finish the game.