STROUDSBURG – Junior Brock Kauffman went a combined 5-for-8 at the plate with a home run and eight runs batted in as the East Stroudsburg University baseball team extended its winning streak to six games on Saturday with a doubleheader sweep against Jefferson (9-1, 12-0) at Creekview Park.
 
ESU (7-1) limited the Rams to just one run through 16 innings of baseball as the Warrior pitching staff tallied 19 strikeouts, including 13 in game two against Jefferson.
 
Kauffman finished 2-for-3 in the opener and notched a double to go along with a pair of runs scored and four RBI. He would go 3-for-5 in game two with a triple and home run to go along with four RBI. Junior Brainy Rojas went 6-for-7 on the day with a double and a triple to go along with four RBI.
 
Redshirt sophomore Chase Nowak would get the nod on the mound in game one for the Warriors. Nowak worked through the opening three innings for ESU and yielded one run off four hits to go along with a pair of strikeouts.
 
The Warriors opened the scoring in the top of the third inning as ESU loaded the bases following a single and back-to-back walks. Kauffman cleared the bases and made it 3-0 with a double as senior CJ Lopez, Rojas, and senior Carson Freeman all scored.
 
Jefferson answered with a run against Nowak in the bottom of the third inning before the Warriors countered for a single run in the top of the fourth inning off a run-scoring triple from Rojas to make it 4-1.
 
ESU tallied a pair of runs in the fifth inning and three in the sixth to extend its lead to 9-1 over the Rams. Junior Tommy Dunleavy delivered his first home run for the Warriors in the fifth, while Rojas, Kauffman, and senior Anthony Torreullas tallied RBI singles in the sixth.
 
Senior Tyler Guidos tossed three scoreless frames out of the bullpen for the Warriors and tallied four strikeouts before sophomore Mike Yates closed the game in the seventh inning for ESU. Nowak improved to 1-0 on the season for ESU after making his third start of the season.
 
Freshman Brent Francisco made his first career start for the Warriors in game two and would receive plenty of offensive support. The Warriors scored in seven of their eight innings on offense and belted five home runs against Jefferson pitching.
 
Kauffman opened the scoring with a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning, while Rojas followed with a two-run single in the second inning to make it 4-0. The Warriors would hit a home run in the third, fourth, and fifth inning as junior Derek Stento and freshman Ben Stokes left the ballpark in the fourth frame.
 
The Warriors also added a run in the sixth inning with a run-scoring triple from Kauffman and another in the eighth inning as Kauffman plated junior CJ Gantz with a single to make it 12-0.
 
Sophomore Justin Guidos and redshirt junior Tyler Stafursky worked middle-innings out of the bullpen for the Warriors and combined to record six strikeouts, while redshirt junior Nick Kiener tossed a scoreless ninth inning to preserve the victory for ESU. Francisco improved to 1-0 on the season after tallying five strikeouts and yielding four hits along with one walk.
 
ESU hosts Saint Rose on Sunday in a doubleheader at Creekview Park beginning at 12 p.m. The Warriors remain at home as they host the ESU Invite on Feb. 28-29 and March 1 with games against Jefferson and IUP.