EAST STROUDSBURG – Redshirt senior Chase Nowak fired a complete game shutout in the opener to lift the East Stroudsburg University baseball team past Mansfield 1-0, but the Mounties railed for a 5-3 game two victory to split the doubleheader on Friday afternoon at Creekview Park.
The Warriors pickuped their 20th win of the season to go to 20-6 overall and 3-2 in the PSAC while the Mounties move to 9-11 overall and 3-5 in the conference.
It was a pitcher's duel in the opener as the game remained scoreless headed into the Warriors final at-bats. With two-outs, Ben Piripavel worked a walk to keep the inning alive for CJ Peechatka. After falling behind 0-2 in the count, Peechatka laced the next pitch into the right center field gap, which allowed Piripavel to score for ESU's second walk-off win of the season.
Nowak (3-0) picked up his third victory of the season after firing 7.0 innings, in which he allowed just two hits while striking out six Mounties. Mansfield's Hunter DePrimo was handed the loss after pitching 6.2 innings, allowing one run on six hits to go along with four punchouts.
With game two tied at 2-2 headed into the bottom of the eighth inning, freshman Jack Rothenhausler led off with his first career home run to put the Warriors ahead 3-2. However, with Mansfield down to the final out in the ninth, the Mounties rallied as Shay Gustafson tied the game at 3-3 on an RBI single. Dylan Mercedes followed by crushing the first pitch he saw over the right field fence to make the score 5-3 in favor of Mansfield.
Scott Shamany (1-1) was credited with the loss after trying to convert his fifth save of the season.
Notables
- Brock Kauffman continues to close in on a pair of school records as he sits tied for the top spot in doubles at 46 with Chriss Knott (2011-14). The Blue Ball, Pa. native is still at 139 career RBI which is only seven away from tying the school record of 146 also held by Knott.
- Rojas sits at 105 career walks which is four away of breaking the program record set by Ian Allen (109) from 2014-17. Rojas also moved up to eighth all-time in career runs with 135.
- ESU recorded just a pair of stolen bases on the afternoon to raise their season total to 66 which ranks 10th in all of NCAA DII
- The Mounties pitching staff kept ESU's bat in check as the Warriors combined to go 14-of-59 (.237 BA) across both games
How it Happened – Game One
After a scoreless first six and a half innings, the Warriors plated the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh as a double to deep right center field from Peechatka brought home Piripavel. The speedy Piripavel worked out a two-out walk before scoring from first on the play.
How it Happened – Game Two
Mansfield scored their first run of the afternoon in the top of the second inning despite recording a hit as a bases loaded walk put the Mounties ahead 1-0.
In the top of the fourth inning, the Mounties pushed their advantage to 2-0 as a bases loaded ground ball with one out allowed Marcus Nales to race home.
The Warriors tied the game in the bottom of the fifth inning, using two hits and a pair of errors from Mansfield to make the score 2-2. Piatkiewicz led off with a double before moving to third with one out after a throwing error by the Mounties. He came around to score ESU's first run after another misplayed ball from Mansfield, which allowed Piripavel to reach. Peechatka followed by working a walk which set up Torreullas for an RBI single to left field which plated Piripavel.
Leading off the bottom of the eighth inning, Rothenhausler sent a deep drive to left field to regain the lead for the Warriors at 3-2.
With a runner on second and down to their final out, Mansfield tied the game at 3-3 in the top of the ninth as Gustafson delivered a run scoring single. On the very next pitch, Mercedes launched the ball past the right field fence to give the Mounties a 5-3 lead.
Up Next
The Warriors return to Creekview Park tomorrow for the rubber match against the Mounties with a single nine-inning game beginning at noon.
