Box Scores
L 12-5 (8 inn.)
L 8-4

Photo Gallery

EAST STROUDSBURG – Senior Laine Renaud homered in both games and East Stroudsburg University rallied to send the opener to extra innings, but No. 17 West Chester took both ends of a PSAC East baseball doubleheader, 12-5 (8 inn.) and 8-4, on Wednesday afternoon at Mitterling Field.

West Chester (22-9, 11-5), the defending NCAA Division II champion, won the season series, 4-0, after winning 4-3 (8 inn.) and 14-6 on its home field on March 31. Wednesday's doubleheader was postponed due to inclement weather that weekend.

Renaud has homered in four straight games for the Warriors (17-16, 6-10), pushing his season total to nine, after going deep in both games of Saturday's split vs. Kutztown.

Senior catcher Steven Zimmerman, Jr. also homered in Wednesday's nightcap, his sixth of the season, and extending his ESU career record to 22.

All-America designated hitter Shane Dressler was 5-for-8 with two doubles, a walk, two RBI and a run; shortstop Nick Ward was 4-for-8 with two doubles, a home run, two walks, six RBI and four runs; and first baseman Jared Melone was 4-for-8 with a homer, hit by pitch, six RBI and two runs – combining for 13 of West Chester's 22 hits in the doubleheader.

Renaud, Zimmerman, freshman 3B Brock Kauffman and freshman 2B Brainy Rojas had two hits each for ESU.

Scott McKenna threw a complete game for the Golden Rams in the nightcap as WCU scored four in the third, three in the fourth and one in the sixth.

ESU got a two-run homer from Renaud in the second inning to take a 2-0 lead. Zimmerman homered to lead off the bottom of the third to get the Warriors within 4-3, and Kauffman had an RBI single to score sophomore OF Carson Freeman in the fifth.

In the opener, ESU led 2-1 after the second inning – getting a two-out, two-run double from Rojas – and 4-3 after the fourth, as Renaud hit a leadoff homer and ESU loaded the bases on singles by junior OF Zarley Cina, sophomore SS Joey Paolini and Rojas before a sacrifice fly by Freeman.

Redshirt senior left-hander Mike Pepio pitched effectively in relief of sophomore Connor Johnson (2.0 IP, 1 run, 2 hits, strikeout, walk) – going 3.0 innings and surrendering one run on four hits, with four strikeouts and two walks. Pepio stranded runners on second base in the third inning, and second and third in both the fourth and fifth frames, maintaining ESU's 4-3 lead.

Ward had a go-ahead two-run single in West Chester's sixth, and ESU left two on base in the bottom half.

Senior Nick DiEva entered and pitched a scoreless seventh for ESU, and the Warriors rallied in the bottom of the seventh on four walks – by redshirt junior Mike Sulcoski, Cina, redshirt junior PJ Van Orman and Freeman – the last two with two outs, to push across the tying run before Bill Ford got Zimmerman to fly out to right to force extra innings.

WCU scored seven in the top of the eighth to win it, starting with a two-run homer by Melone.

Ford got the win in relief for West Chester, retiring four of the five batters he faced.

ESU used 10 pitchers in the midweek doubleheader, with sophomore left-hander Tyler Stafursky (3.0 IP, 6R, 5H, 3K, 5BB), redshirt freshman Chris Crookham (3.0 IP, 1ER, 2H, 2K, 0BB) and junior Logan Zavada (1.0 IP, 0R, 2H, 1K) taking the mound in game two.

ESU takes on Millersville (22-13, 10-6) in a four-game PSAC East series this weekend, hosting the Marauders on Friday at 1 p.m. at Mitterling Field.

GAME NOTES:
* Steven Zimmerman, Jr. collected his 150th career hit, becoming the 20th Warrior and 2nd catcher with 150

* Rank among ESU catchers:
1st
HR (22) (also ESU all-time record)
2B (31)
XBH (57)
Total Bases (255)
RBI (111)
R (127)
Games (169)

2nd
Hits (150)
BB (79)