Box Scores
W 4-1
W 7-1

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EAST STROUDSBURG – Sophomore Carson Freeman and redshirt freshman Nate Fiala had impressive pitching performances, and redshirt junior outfielder Christian Rishel hit a key three-run homer in the nightcap as East Stroudsburg University topped Shippensburg, 4-1 and 7-1, to claim a PSAC East baseball doubleheader and 3-of-4 games in this weekend's series.

ESU (21-20, 10-14) remains alive for the PSAC East's fourth and final postseason berth entering the last weekend of divisional play next Friday (home) and Saturday (away) vs. Lock Haven.

Freeman (6.0 IP, run, 4 hits, 3 strikeouts, walk) and redshirt senior left-hander Mike Pepio (1.0 IP, 2 hits, 3 strikeouts) combined on a six-hitter in the opener.

ESU won a weather-shortened nightcap, leading 3-1 through the top of the fifth inning, when the game became official, and adding four runs in the bottom of the fifth before the game was delayed due to lightning just after 5 p.m. The game was officially called at 5:50 p.m. with weather and field conditions not allowing the contest to resume.

Fiala is credited with a complete game (5.0 IP, run, 4 hits, 3 strikeouts, walk) and ties ESU's freshman wins record, improving to 5-1 on the season with a 2.58 ERA in 38.1 innings across 16 games (3 starts). He is the seventh ESU freshman pitcher to win five games, including current sophomore Connor Johnson (last year) and current volunteer assistant Brian Ernst (2010).

Rishel hit a two-out, three-run homer in the third after Ship scored the game's first run in the top half of the inning.

Shippensburg falls to 22-21 (11-13), part of the four-team group along with Kutztown, Lock Haven and ESU looking to qualify next weekend. Bloomsburg, West Chester and Millersville have yet to officially secure PSAC Tournament berths at the top of the division.

The two schools split Friday at Shippensburg, with Johnson throwing a four-hitter for his first career shutout and outdueling Gabe Mosser for a 2-0 win in the opener, before Zack Sims threw a four-hitter in Ship's 10-0 win in game two.

Game 1 – W 4-1

Freeman surrendered a leadoff homer by Ship shortstop Cash Gladfelter, then blanked the Raiders the rest of the way – retiring the next eight he faced, and then stranding a one-out single in the fourth, a leadoff single in the fifth and a leadoff double by Nick Spangler in the sixth.

The Warriors managed just a walk off Andy Crum (3-3, 2.70 ERA in 46.2 innings entering the weekend) through three innings, but dented the scoreboard for one in the fourth, one in the fifth and two in the sixth.

Freshman 3B Brock Kauffman had a one-out single, moved to second on a balk and scored on a two-out RBI single by redshirt junior 1B Mike Sulcoski in the fourth as ESU eventually loaded the bases before Crum got out of the jam at 1-1.

In the fifth, senior OF Charles Edwards reached on an error to start the inning, moved up on a sacrifice bunt by Freeman, and Ship elected to intentionally walk senior C Steven Zimmerman, Jr. to bring up Kauffman – who belted the go-ahead single to make it 2-1.

Senior OF Laine Renaud led off the sixth with a double, sophomore SS Joey Paolini was hit by a pitch and Edwards and Freeman produced RBI singles to extend the ESU lead.

Kauffman and Renaud had two hits each, with Paolini reaching three times on two walks and the HBP.

Crum (5.1 IP, 4 runs, 3 earned, 6 hits, 7 strikeouts, 3 walks) was relieved by Dalton Oates, who got the final two outs of the ESU sixth.

Pepio struck out the side in the seventh for his fourth save of the season, pitching around a pair of singles which brought the tying run to the plate.

Freeman improves to 3-2, lowering his ERA to 4.50 in 30.0 innings across seven appearances (six starts).

Pepio has pitched in 18 games, all in relief, throwing 34.2 innings with a 2.60 ERA.

Game 2 – W 7-1

Rishel's homer, his fourth of the season and the 15th of his career, was the big blow before ESU added on four in the bottom of the fifth with rain and hail starting to fall at Mitterling Field.

Freeman had a one-out single, followed by Zimmerman reaching via HBP (extending his ESU career record to 35), before Rishel's blast to left-center.

Fiala allowed three hits in the first two innings but faced just seven batters, getting a double play and an outfield assist in the first inning.

Ship broke through with a run in the third as Scout Knotts walked, moved up on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a two-out single by Spangler.

Fiala pitched around a two-out error in the fourth, and threw a 1-2-3 inning in the fifth with the weather delay on the horizon.

In the bottom of the fifth, freshman 2B Brainy Rojas singled, Freeman doubled, Kauffman had an RBI infield single and Rishel had a two-RBI double. Sulcoski plated the inning's fourth run with a sacrifice fly.

Rishel (2-for-3, double, HR, 5 RBI, 2 runs), Freeman (2-for-3, double, 2 runs) and Kauffman (2-for-3, RBI, run) all had two hits for the Warriors.

Kauffman's four-hit day gives him a 5-for-12 series. Freeman was also 5-for-12 with two doubles.

ESU outscored Ship 13-12 for the weekend, with nearly all of the Ship offense coming in their 10-0 win in the second game. The Raiders had series advantages in batting (.305 to .263) and on-base percentage (.346 to .311), with ESU holding the edge in slugging percentage (.379 to .368) on the strength of seven extra-base hits.