Box Scores
W 4-3
W 10-3

SHIPPENSBURG - Senior Tyler Eckman and redshirt senior Ben Stine had strong starts on the mound, and several Warriors delivered the offense as East Stroudsburg University captured a PSAC East baseball doubleheader at Shippensburg (4-3, 10-3) on Saturday afternoon.

ESU (18-16-1, 8-9-1) will return to Shippensburg for the second half of this weekend's series on Sunday.

Eckman improved to 6-0 in eight starts this season after entering second in the PSAC in ERA (1.37) and tied for second in wins (5). He went 5.0 innings in the opener, allowing three runs on eight hits, and freshman right-hander Connor Johnson got the final six outs for his third save of the season, stranding a one-out double in the seventh.

Stine had his third solid outing in his last four starts, holding Shippensburg (19-18-1, 10-8) to three runs on six hits with five strikeouts and one walk.

Offensively, the top four batters in the Warriors lineup combined to go 12-for-26 with 10 walks, 11 RBI and 10 runs.

Senior OF Ian Allen was 3-for-5 with three walks, three RBI and three runs in the No. 2 spot - including a three-run homer in the second inning of the nightcap, his seventh of the season and the 17th of his career.

Redshirt senior 2B Conner Crookham was 3-for-6 with two walks and four runs in the leadoff spot.

Redshirt senior 1B Dylan Tamecki was 4-for-8 with two doubles, four RBI and a run as the cleanup hitter, and junior C Steven Zimmerman, Jr. was 2-for-7 with four RBI and two runs in the No. 3 spot.

Freshman SS Joey Paolini had his best day at the plate as a Warrior, going 4-for-7 with three runs, including 3-for-4 with three runs in game two.

Allen entered the week ranked in the PSAC's top 10 in six offensive categories, including third in total bases (81), tied for third in extra-base hits (22), fourth in slugging percentage (.730) and first in stolen bases (25).

Saturday's sweep brings ESU closer into contention for one of the PSAC East's four playoff spots with 10 divisional games remaining.

GAME 1 - W 4-3

In a match-up of Eckman (5-0, 1.37 ERA in 7 starts) and Shippensburg's Gabe Mosser (4-4, 2.49 ERA - including just 3 earned runs in 29.0 innings vs. PSAC East), the Warriors offense did the job - tagging Mosser for four runs on six hits and five walks in 5.0 innings on the mound.

ESU scored two runs in the first inning to give Eckman an early lead, and scored two more in the top of the fifth after Shippensburg cut the Warriors lead to 2-1 in the fourth.

Tamecki was 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs, contributing almost half of ESU's eight hits. Crookham (1-for-2, 2 walks) reached base three times in the leadoff spot.

The Warriors got to Mosser from the jump as Crookham drew a leadoff walk, Allen singled, Tamecki had an RBI single and junior 3B Laine Renaud had an RBI fielders choice for a quick 2-0 lead.

Eckman retired nine of the first 10 Raiders, pitching around a leadoff double by Jake Kennedy in the second inning.

Ship scored a run on four hits and a walk in the bottom of the fourth, but the Warriors got a caught stealing for the second out and Eckman got a fly ball to center with the bases loaded to retire the side.

ESU made it 4-1 in the top of the fifth with a pair of two-out RBI singles. Allen drew a one-out walk, advanced on a wild pitch and scored on a base hit by Tamecki - the first of three straight singles. Renaud followed and redshirt freshman OF Tom Nuneviller had an RBI knock before the Warriors left the bases loaded.

Shippensburg closed the gap to 4-3 in the bottom of the fifth, including a two-out RBI double by Kennedy, but Eckman held the lead with a groundout to end the frame.

ESU had a pair of singles to start the sixth, by Paolini and Crookham, but couldn't convert, and Ship had multiple chances in its final two innings but didn't score.

Johnson stranded the tying run at second in both innings, giving up a two-out single and a wild pitch in the sixth, and pitching around the one-out double by Nick Spangler in the seventh. He walked Kennedy, and got Drew Bene to ground out to Crookham at second to end the game.

GAME 2 - W 10-3

ESU led 6-0 before Ship got on the board, and Stine threw 6.0 strong innings to get the sweep.

ESU's first five batters reached in the top of the first - Crookham singled, Allen walked, Zimmerman had an RBI single, Tamecki an RBI double and Renaud walked - as the Warriors led 3-0 before Shippensburg went on offense.

Allen's three-run homer to right made it 6-0 in the second, after redshirt senior OF Casey Saverio walked and Paolini singled to start the inning.

Ship got two in the third to make it 6-2, but ESU bounced back with two in the top of the fourth - Paolini singled, Crookham reached safely on a fielders choice, Allen singled and Zimmerman had a two RBI single to extend the lead back to 8-2.

It was 10-2 after the top of the sixth as ESU loaded the bases on singles by Paolini and Crookham and a walk by Allen to start the frame. Zimmerman was hit by a pitch for an RBI, and Tamecki had an RBI fielders choice.

Junior Nick DiEva pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning to finish the game for the Warriors.

ESU had 32 baserunners in the twinbill - 19 hits, 10 walks and three HBP - including 19 in the nightcap.

Paolini had three hits and Crookham, Allen and Zimmerman had two each at the top of the order.

Allen reached safely in all four of his plate appearances in game two (2-for-2, HR, 2 walks), and six of eight in the doubleheader.

Zimmerman had four of ESU's nine RBI, driving in runs in three different plate appearances.