Box Scores
W 8-2
W 7-4

Photo Gallery

PSAC Tournament (psacsports.org) 1st round schedule (Wednesday) (Johnstown, Pa.)
9:30 a.m. - E2 Shippensburg vs. W3 Slippery Rock
12:30 p.m. - W1 Mercyhurst vs. E4 East Stroudsburg
3:30 p.m. - W2 IUP vs. E3 Lock Haven
6:30 p.m. - E1 West Chester vs. W4 Seton Hill


MANSFIELD - Senior left-hander Ian Allen threw a complete game in the opener, and freshman Connor Johnson tossed 6.0 innings in the nightcap as East Stroudsburg University earned a spot in the PSAC Tournament for the sixth time in the last eight years with a doubleheader sweep at Mansfield (8-2, 7-4) in PSAC East baseball on Monday afternoon at Shaute Field.

ESU (26-19-1, 15-12-1) won all four vs. Mansfield this weekend, seven of its last eight (after a 3-1 weekend vs. PSAC qualifier Lock Haven) and went 15-8-1 after an 0-4 weekend at divisional leader West Chester to rally for another postseason spot.

The Warriors swept Saturday's doubleheader vs. Mansfield (4-0, 3-2) behind the first career shutout by senior Tyler Eckman, who improved to 7-0 in 10 starts, and 6.1 innings from redshirt senior Ben Stine.

ESU's sweep knocks Millersville, the defending Atlantic Regional champion and national runner-up, out of the PSAC Tournament. The Marauders were 1-3 this weekend vs. Shippensburg to leave the door open for ESU.

The Warriors will travel to Johnstown, Pa. for a quick turnaround with the PSAC Tournament opening on Wednesday. ESU, the PSAC East No. 4 seed, will face Mercyhurst (34-4, 21-3) in the first round at 12:30 p.m.

Allen went the distance in the opener, scattering six hits, with six strikeouts and two walks. The Warriors scored once in the first, once in the third and then added three runs in both the fourth and fifth innings to open the lead.

Johnson tied ESU's freshman record with his fifth win of the year to pitch the Warriors into the PSAC Tournament, and was backed by an offense that hit three home runs - all from unlikely sources.

Freshman SS Joey Paolini hit a solo homer in the second, senior 3B Billy Sablinski hit a two-run shot in the fourth and junior OF Charles Edwards had a two-run homer in the sixth. Sablinski and Edwards both hit the first home runs of their careers. The trio had combined for two homers (both by Paolini) in 201 at bats entering the final game of the regular season.

Allen hit another personal milestone along with his complete game pitching performance, becoming the first player in ESU history and third in PSAC history with 100 career stolen bases with a theft in the third inning of the opener. Earlier this season, Allen became the second ESU player and sixth in PSAC history with 150 career hits at the plate and 150 strikeouts on the mound.

Redshirt senior 2B Jay Young sparked the Warriors at the top of the lineup, reaching base in six of his nine plate appearances (4-for-7, 2 walks, double, 2 RBI, 4 runs).

Junior C Steven Zimmerman, Jr. was 4-for-8 with two doubles, an RBI and a run, redshirt senior 1B Dylan Tamecki was 3-for-6 with four RBI and Sablinski was 3-for-7 with his homer, two RBI and three runs.

Redshirt sophomore PJ Van Orman was 3-for-3 with a double, walk and RBI in the nightcap. For the weekend, he was 6-for-8 with two walks, two doubles and scored two runs.

ESU got strong pitching performances from its seniors in the first three games - Eckman (7.0 IP, 0 runs, 6 hits, 7 strikeouts, 2 walks), Stine (6.1 IP, 2 runs, 5 hits, 9 strikeouts, 0 walks) and Allen (7.0 IP, 2 runs, 6 hits, 6 strikeouts, 2 walks) - before turning it over to Johnson in game four.

The freshman, who had the save in Saturday's 3-2 win, blanked Mansfield on one hit through the first 4.0 innings, finishing with a line of 6.0 innings, four runs, seven hits, five strikeouts and no walks.

Junior Nick DiEva got the final three outs for his third save of the season, sending the Warriors to the postseason.

ESU won the 2013 PSAC championship, its first since 1971, and was runner-up in 2015. The Warriors are in the PSAC Tournament for the third straight year for the first time in program history.

GAME 1 - W 8-2

The Warriors responded after Mansfield tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the third, scoring three in the top of the fourth to give Allen the lead.

In the first inning, Young had a leadoff single, Allen walked and Young moved up on a pair of groundouts, with Tamecki picking up the RBI.

ESU made it 2-0 in the third as Allen had a one-out single, stole second for the 100th of his career and scored on an RBI double by Zimmerman. The Warriors stranded two, but struck again in the fourth.

ESU had four straight singles to open the inning - redshirt senior OF Casey Saverio had a base hit through the right side, Sablinski and Edwards had bunt hits to load the bases and Young singled to short to plate the go-ahead run.

Allen reached on an error by the left fielder, picking up a sacrifice fly RBI, and Tamecki followed with a one-out RBI single for a 5-2 lead.

The Warriors tagged three insurance runs in the fifth - Saverio walked, Young had a two-out RBI double, Allen walked, Zimmerman reached on an error with Young scoring, and Tamecki had an RBI single.

Young was 3-for-5 with a double, two RBI and three runs in the leadoff spot, and Tamecki was 3-for-4 with three RBI as the cleanup hitter.

Allen reached on three of his five plate appearances, going 1-for-2 with two walks, a sacrifice fly, an RBI and two runs.

GAME 2 - W 7-4

ESU jumped out to a 5-0 lead through the top of the fourth, then had to do some work to secure its tournament spot.

Mansfield scored three in the bottom of the fifth to pull within 5-3, which ESU answered with the two-run homer by Edwards for a 7-3 lead in the top of the sixth.

The Mounties scored once in the bottom half, but Johnson got a strikeout to strand two runners and DiEva closed the door in the seventh.

The Warriors led 2-0 before Mansfield hit, as Young had a leadoff walk, Zimmerman hit a one-out double, Tamecki had a sacrifice fly and Van Orman hit a two-out RBI double to start things.

Paolini hit a leadoff homer to make it 3-0 in the second, and Sablinski hit a two-run homer to center for a 5-0 lead in the fourth while Johnson cruised on the mound through four complete.

ESU stranded a pair of runners in the fifth, and Mansfield got on the board in the bottom half with a single, double and a two-run homer by Colby Schearer before Johnson got out of the frame.

Sablinski singled and Edwards homered to left-center for a 7-3 lead in the top of the sixth.

Mansfield scored and had a shot for more in the bottom of the sixth, getting a pair of leadoff hits and a two-out RBI single, before Johnson fanned Brady Mengel with runners on first and third to hold the game at 7-4.

DiEva got a fly ball, groundout and fly ball for an uneventful seventh.

Van Orman was 3-for-3 with a walk, double and RBI, and Zimmerman was 3-for-4 with a double and a run to combine for six of ESU's 11 hits.