Box Scores
W 8-5
L 5-2

LOCK HAVEN - Freshman Evan Steele hit a two-out, two-run, pinch-hit go-ahead single in the top of the seventh inning of an 8-5 win in the opener as East Stroudsburg University split a PSAC East baseball doubleheader at Lock Haven on Friday afternoon.

ESU (20-19-1, 9-12-1) rallied from a 4-0 first inning deficit to take game one. The Warriors took a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning of the nightcap, but Lock Haven (28-12, 14-8) posted a 5-2 win to split the doubleheader.

ESU hosts the second half of the series on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Mitterling Field.

The Warriors scored their eight runs on five hits, six walks and five hit batters. Redshirt sophomore PJ Van Orman reached base three times and freshman SS Joey Paolini was 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Senior right-hander Tyler Eckman, who was 6-0 with a 1.76 ERA in eight starts, yielded four runs on five hits in the first inning before blanking LHU over the next four frames.

Freshman Connor Johnson earned the win with 1.2 innings of relief work after LHU tied it on a sacrifice fly in the sixth.

In the nightcap, redshirt senior Ben Stine threw four shutout innings before Lock Haven took the lead with a four-run fifth.

GAME 1 - W 8-5

Steele's clutch pinch-hit single with the bases loaded gave the Warriors a 7-5 lead, and Paolini followed with an RBI single for a three-run cushion going to the bottom of the seventh.

Lock Haven had two baserunners on a one-out single and two-out error, but Johnson got a ground ball to second to seal the win in the series opener.

LHU put together five straight hits to score four runs in the bottom of the first off Eckman, but ESU closed the margin quickly with three runs in the top of the second to battle back.

Bald Eagles starter Jacob Belinda (6-1, 2.47 ERA) struggled with his control all day, throwing 4.2 innings and allowing 12 baserunners on six walks, four HBP and just two hits.

Junior 3B Laine Renaud and Van Orman were both hit by pitches to start the second, freshman OF Carson Freeman walked to load the bases and redshirt senior OF Casey Saverio had an RBI walk for ESU's first run.

Redshirt senior 2B Jay Young, who missed last weekend's series vs. Shippensburg due to injury, followed with a two-RBI single to get the Warriors within 4-3 on one of their two hits off Belinda.

ESU threatened in both the third and fourth but didn't score, before taking the lead in the fifth. Junior C Steven Zimmerman, Jr. was hit by a pitch (his second of the game), redshirt senior 1B Dylan Tamecki walked and both runners moved up on a passed ball. Senior 3B Billy Sablinski and Van Orman both had RBI groundouts to put the Warriors in front.

LHU tied it in the sixth on two hits and a sacrifice fly, before Johnson retired the side with a ground ball to send it to the seventh tied 5-5.

All three of ESU's runs were unearned  as Tamecki reached on an error and Van Orman had a two-out single by put runners on first and second. Two pinch-runners - redshirt freshman Tom Nuneviller and junior Charles Edwards - advanced when Freeman reached on an error to load the bases, and Steele singled through the left side for the go-ahead runs.

Senior OF Ian Allen walked and stole second in the first inning, giving him 103 career walks (two from ESU's career record) and 98 stolen bases (two from becoming the third player with 100 career stolen bases in PSAC history).

Eckman went 5.1 innings, yielding five runs on 11 hits. He maintains a 6-0 record in nine starts, posting a 2.40 ERA in 56.1 innings.

GAME 2 - L 5-2

Lock Haven's Mike Anthony improved to 5-3, throwing a complete game and allowing two runs on four hits with four strikeouts and one walk.

Anthony and Stine matched zeroes through three innings before the Warriors got two in the fourth. Zimmerman hit a one-out single, Renaud broke the deadlock with a two-out RBI double and Van Orman followed with an RBI single for a 2-0 lead.

ESU managed just one more baserunner, a leadoff walk by Nuneviller in the top of the fifth.

LHU took the lead with four runs on five hits in the fifth, putting together three straight hits to open the inning. Junior Nick DiEva relieved Stine (4.2 IP, 4 runs, 9 hits, 3 strikeouts,  walks) to get the last out, and LHU added a run with two outs in the sixth