MILLERSVILLE – On an unseasonably warm day, where the teams combined for 19 runs on 26 hits, the East Stroudsburg University baseball team outlasted Millersville, 12-7, to set a new program record for wins in a single season on Saturday at Cooper Park.
With their 39th victory of the year, the Warriors are now just one win away from advancing to next week's NCAA Super Regional. The Marauders will take on Charleston in an elimination game, with the winner advancing to face ESU tomorrow at 10 a.m.
ESU's offense mimicked today's temperature as the Warriors finished with 12 runs on 13 hits, which included seven for extra bases, while also scoring three runs a piece in the first, second, fourth and fifth innings.
Every batter in ESU's lineup recorded at least one hit, led by
Ben Piripavel, who finished 3-for-4 with two walks and two runs.
Tommy Dunleavy (2-for-4) and
CJ Peechatka (2-for-5) drove in the runs for the Warriors as the duo combined for seven RBI.
Brock Kauffman extended his hitting streak to 15 games by going 1-for-4 with a walk, RBI and two runs while
Tim Haverstick and
Jeremy Piatkiewicz each picked up an RBI on a base knock.
Redshirt sophomore right-handed pitcher
Brent Francisco got into some early trouble, allowing five runs on six hits in 2.1 innings. However, the Warriors bullpen was brilliant the rest of the way holding the Marauders to two runs on seven hits over the final 6.2 innings.
Nate Fiala (4-2) went 3.0 innings first out of the pen before
Connor Takacs (0.2 innings) record two momentum shifting outs when Millersville threatened with runners on the corners and trailing 12-7.
Justin Guidos was brilliant over the final 3.0 innings, yielding just two hits.
Notables
- Peechatka stretched his team-high on-base streak to 28 games after reaching twice
- Rojas scored the 160th run of his career to move into third all-time in program history and is now four away from the program record, while still ranking second for stolen bases with 77. Rojas reached base for the 325th time today, putting him three away from the school record of 327 set by
Ian Allen.
- Kauffman remains at second all-time in school history for hits but is now just three away from breaking the school record of 224, set by Jacob DeBoer (2004-07). The Blue Ball, Pa. native also became the program's all-time leader in total bases (346) and extra base hits (82).
- Making his 61st career appearance today, Guidos remained at fourth in the record books but is now five away from passing the program mark of 65
- Fiala matched Guidos' single-season number for games pitched by making his 23rd appearance today
- Rothenhausler continues to rewrite the freshman record book as his double in the fourth inning set the freshman record for hits in a season with 51. The Bethlehem native holds ESU freshman records in doubles (16), home runs (7), extra base hits (25), total bases (92) and is tied for RBI with 34.
- Piatkiewicz is arguably playing one of the best defensive years in program history as he surpassed Joe Vadala's single-season record for assists (154) with his 158th
- ESU stole one base to increase their season total to 133, which ranks seventh in all of NCAA Division II
- The Warriors move to 7-8 all-time in the NCAA Tournament
How it Happened
The Warriors struck first, using two hits and a pair of walks to make the score 3-0 in the bottom of the first. Rojas got the Warriors started with a leadoff walk and Piripavel followed by flaring a single to left field. After a sacrifice bunt moved the runners up 90 feet, Peechatka laced a double off the top of the fence to score a pair. Then on a ground ball that had makings of a third out, the throw sailed wide to bring home Peechatka.
Millersville answered right back in the top of the second inning as back-to-back hit by pitches with two outs set up Jimmy Losh for a three-run home run to tie the game at 3-3.
ESU regained the lead in the home half of the inning, using four hits to score three runs. With runners on the corners due to an error by Millersville, Kauffman singled through the right side to put ESU ahead 4-3. Peechatka followed with his second double of the day to bring home Piripavel and Torreullas had an RBI base hit to put the Warriors up 6-3.
The Marauders cut ESU's deficit to 6-5 in the top of the third inning as Justin Taylor brought home a pair on a double to right field.
The Warriors put together a two-out rally in the bottom of fourth inning, using four straight hits to push their advantage to 9-6. Rothenhausler got the Warriors started with a double, before coming around to score on a triple from Dunleavy. Haverstick brought home the freshman on a two-strike double and Piatkiewicz capped the frame with an RBI single.
Despite recording one hit in the bottom of the fifth inning, the Warriors stretched their lead to 12-6 on a bases clearing double from Dunleavy. Kauffman and Torreullas both walked before Rothenhausler was hit by a pitch to set up the RBI chance for the redshirt senior.
The Marauders got one run back in the top of the sixth inning as Bren Taylor notched an RBI single to ultimately make the final score 12-7.
Up Next
The Warriors await the winner of Millersville and Charleston for tomorrow's NCAA Atlantic Regional championship with first pitch set for 11 a.m. at Cooper Park.
