Box Scores
W 3-1 (9 inn.)
L 3-2

KUTZTOWN - Senior right-hander Tyler Eckman threw 8.0 strong innings and East Stroudsburg University got a pair of two-out hits to post a 3-1 (9 inn.) win in the series opener as the Warriors and Kutztown split a PSAC East baseball doubleheader on Sunday afternoon.

Eckman improved to 4-0 in six starts for ESU (13-12-1, 3-6-1), allowing four hits with six strikeouts and two walks, and freshman Connor Johnson pitched a scoreless ninth for the save.

Kutztown (12-15, 3-7) won the nightcap, 3-2, on a two-out double by Joe Santospago in the bottom of the seventh.

Junior catcher Steven Zimmerman, Jr. hit a two-run homer in the fourth for the Warriors, and redshirt senior right-hander Ben Stine threw 6.0 innings (2 runs, 8 hits, 4 strikeouts, 1 walk) for the no-decision.

In the opener, there was no scoring through five innings before both teams got on the board in the sixth.

In the top of the ninth, redshirt senior Conner Crookham (3-for-4) hit a leadoff double, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored the go-ahead run on a two-out RBI single by junior 3B Laine Renaud for a 2-1 lead. Freshman OF Carson Freeman followed with an RBI double for an insurance run and a 3-1 edge.

The two schools conclude the series on Monday at ESU with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.

GAME 1 - W 3-1 (9 inn.)

Eckman and Anthony Atticks (6.0 IP, run, 4 hits, 4 strikeouts, 2 walks) were locked in a pitchers duel through five, with Eckman allowing just a hit and two walks against his first 18 hitters.

The Warriors broke the deadlock in the top of the sixth. Senior OF Ian Allen drew a leadoff walk and stole second, his PSAC-leading 22nd of the year, moved to third on a single by Crookham and scored on a sacrifice fly by redshirt senior 1B Dylan Tamecki.

In the bottom of the sixth, Kutztown put its first two on with a Bo Rottet double and a Collin Bishop single. Eckman got his third double play of the game, with Rottet scoring the game-tying run on the play.

Neither team put a runner in scoring position in the seventh to send the game to extra innings. Allen had a two-out single but was caught stealing in the top of the eighth, and Eckman threw a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom half.

The Warriors plated their go-ahead runs in the ninth, and Johnson relieved Eckman for the save opportunity. He retired the first two batters, then yielded a single and hit batter to put the tying run on base, but struck out Mike Milazzo to end the game.

Crookham (3-for-4, double, run) and Renaud (2-for-4, RBI, run) combined for five of ESU's eight hits.

GAME 2 - L 3-2

Stine had his second straight strong outing after beating Bloomsburg, 4-1, with a five-hit, 12-strikeout performance last Monday.

Kutztown jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first as Rottet walked, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on an RBI single by Ryan Cox.

ESU left runners on base in each of the first three innings before breaking through in the fourth. Tamecki hit a leadoff single and Zimmerman followed with a two-run homer to left, his fourth of the season and 13th of his career, to give the Warriors a 2-1 lead.

Kutztown tied it at 2-2 in the bottom of the fourth on a one-out double by Zack Delp and a two-out RBI double by Ben Eppley before Stine got out of the inning.

Stine stranded two runners in the fifth, and a two-out single in the sixth, to maintain the 2-2 tie going to the seventh.

ESU didn't manage a baserunner, and Kutztown got to Johnson in relief with an unearned run. Rottet had a leadoff single, Bishop reached on an error on a sacrifice bunt, and after Johnson struck out the No. 3 and No. 4 hitters, Santospago doubled down the right field line for the winning run.

ESU had four hits with Zimmerman going 2-for-2 with his two-run homer and a walk.

KU's Doug Conrad went 6.0 innings (2 runs, 4 hits, 5 strikeouts, 1 walk) and Matt Matricardi was the winner with a scoreless seventh. Rottet had three hits out of the leadoff spot.