SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The East Stroudsburg University baseball team opened PSAC East play on Friday afternoon with a doubleheader sweep of Shippensburg (13-5, 3-2) at Fairchild Field.

ESU's offense exploded in game one with 13 runs on 10 hits and the Warriors needed just three runs on three hits in a game two, which featured a pitching duel between the starters, to earn the victory.

Redshirt senior Carson Freeman finished the day 4-for-9 at the plate with three home runs, including a grand slam in game one and eight runs batted in. The Bangor, Pa. native also recorded his 100th career hit on the afternoon and moved into a tie for 5th all-time for most home runs in program history.

Redshirt junior Brainy Rojas also helped pace the ESU offense going 4-for-6 with two home runs, three RBIs and three walks. In game one, Rojas and Freeman became the first teammates since 2010 (Ryan Guarino and Carey Zimmerman at Chestnut Hill) to hit multi home runs in a game.

Redshirt senior Cam Voss was spectacular on the mound for Warriors in a low scoring game two. The Fredonia, N.Y. native fired a complete game, allowing just two runs (one unearned) on three hits to go along with 11 strikeouts. After allowing a two-run homer in the second, Voss held the Raiders to just twos hit the rest of the way and punched out eight over the next five innings.

ESU improves to 3-2 overall and 2-0 in PSAC East play while Shippensburg dropped to 0-4 on the season and 0-2 in conference play.

Game 1 Recap
Redshirt sophomore Chase Nowak struck out eight batters across four innings and the Warriors' offense scored at least one run in each of the final five innings as the East Stroudsburg baseball team defeated Shippensburg 13-5 in game one of a doubleheader at Fairchild Field.

The Warriors recorded 10 hits, with nine coming from the top four guys in the lineup. Rojas and Freeman paced the offense with a pair of home runs each, which included a grand slam from Freeman in the seventh inning. Rojas went 3-for-3 with a walk, two RBIs and four runs scored. Freeman went 3-for-5 with seven RBIs and three runs scored while redshirt senior Anthony Torreullas was 2-for-4 with a home run, a walk, two RBIs and one run scored.

In his second start of the season, Nowak allowed just one unearned run, on one hit with eight strikeouts over four innings to earn his first victory of the season. Redshirt sophomore Justin Guidos let up two runs over 2.0 innings of work and junior JP Nolan allowed one unearned run in the final inning.

Shippensburg jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first after a wild pitch with the bases loaded scored Tony Vavaroutsos. Nowak recorded three strikeouts in the inning, but a pair of walks, wild pitches and hit batter allowed Shippensburg to take the lead.

With two outs in the top of the third inning, the Warriors scored a pair of runs to take a 2-1 lead. Rojas got the Warriors on the board and tied the game with his first home run of the season to left center field. After a Freeman single and Brock Kauffman walk, Torreullas singled up the middle to score Freeman, and give the Warriors the lead.

The Warriors pushed across more runs in the top of the fourth inning when Freeman delivered a three-run home run with two outs to extend the lead to 5-1. Joey Paolini led off the inning with walk and following two Warriors outs, Rojas drew another free pass to set up Freeman for his first homer of the season.

ESU added to their advantage in the top of the fifth when Torreullas led off the inning with home run to left field to make the score 6-1. Tommy Dunleavy was hit by a pitch, stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch before Logan Stirr was put aboard by another hit by pitch. Paolini worked a walk and Dunleavy was able to race home on a wild pitch to make the game 7-1. Tim Haverstick hit a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Stirr to give the Warriors an 8-1 lead.

Rojas pushed the Warriors' lead to 9-1 in the top of the sixth with his second home run of the game to left field. Shippensburg responded in the bottom half of the inning with three runs to make the score 9-4. Justin Darden started the rally for the Raiders with a single, followed up by a Nick Zanic base knock and walk from Jackson LoBianco to load the bases. Justin Guidos balked to score Darden but loaded the bases again with a walk to Vavaroutsos. Lake Lloyd came up next and doubled to left field to drive in a pair, making the score 9-4.

The Warriors responded in huge fashion in the top of the seventh inning after three walks loaded the bases for Freeman, who hit a grand slam for his second blast of the game, making the score the 13-4 in favor of ESU. Shippensburg added a run in the bottom half of the inning to make the final score 13-5.

Shippensburg starter Kiernan Higgins suffered the loss after surrendering five runs, on five hits over 4.0 innings. Horst permitted four runs on three hits over 1.2 innings while Chris Douglass was responsible for four runs on one hit over .1 innings.

The Warriors were disciplined at the plate, working 12 walks against the four different Raiders' pitchers.

Game 2 Recap
Redshirt senior Cam Voss fired a complete game, the second of his career, allowing just one run on three hits while striking out 11 to earn the game two victory for the Warriors. Trailing 2-1 in the fifth inning, Rojas drove in Stirr and Paolini on single to give the Warriors a 3-2 lead, which they would not relinquish.

Freeman continued his onslaught at the plate in the first inning of game two when he hit his third home run of the afternoon to left center field to give the Warriors a 1-0 lead.
In the bottom of the second inning, the Raiders took a 2-1 lead on two-run shot to left center from Justin Darden. Voss walked the first batter of the inning before letting up the home run and then retired the next three batters.

The Warriors' bats were held in check over the next two innings, but they regained the lead, 3-2 in the top of the fifth. Stirr started the inning with a walk and Paolini singled to center to give the Warriors a pair of baserunners with no outs. Following two outs by ESU, Rojas singled to score Stirr and Paolini raced home after a throwing error by Shippensburg's Zanic in right field.

After a two-run second, Voss held the Raiders to just one hit and punched out five over the next four innings.

ESU was threatening to add insurance runs in the top of the seventh with bases loaded and Freeman at the dish but the redshirt senior grounded out to shortstop to end the inning.

Voss came back out to pitch the ninth and after allowing a single to lead off the inning, the redshirt senior struck out the next three batters he faced to hang on for the 3-2 win.
Shippensburg starter Kyle Lysy was handed the loss despite allowing three runs, two of them earned, on just three hits while punching out nine over 6.0 innings. Austen Labarre did not allow a run in his 1.0 inning of work.

Up Next
The Warriors return to Creekview Field tomorrow as they welcome the Raiders for a twin bill beginning at 12 p.m.