EAST STROUDSBURG – The East Stroudsburg University baseball team completed the four-game sweep of Saint Rose as the Warriors earned a pair of one-run victories over the Golden Knights on Monday at Creekview Park.
Down to their final out in the opener, the Warriors (6-2) rallied in the bottom of the seventh inning as graduate student
Victor Cruz delivered a two-run game-winning single to lift ESU past the Golden Knights, 4-3. Saint Rose made it interesting in the final inning of the series finale as the Golden Knights scratched across three runs before ESU recorded the final out for a 5-4 victory.
Notables
- Ben Piripavel set the table for the Warriors offensive all afternoon as the redshirt junior went 3-for-5 with three walks, two runs batted in and trio of bags swiped. In his fourth season with the Warriors, Piripavel has totaled 60 stolen bases which ranks fifth all-time in school history.
- After a hitless effort in the opener, sophomore Matt Ervolina turned in a 3-for-4 performance in game two, recording a double to go along with two stolen bases and a run scored
- Sophomore Jack Rothenhausler added two hits, a pair of stolen bases, one RBI and one run over seven official at-bats
- Jeremy Piatkiewicz totaled a pair of singles, two walks, two stolen bases and one run, while Cruz finished with one hit, two walks and three RBI
- Despite earning the no-decision in game one, Tom Reisinger went 6.1 innings, yielding three runs on five hits to go along with six strikeouts. Graduate senior JP Nolan was credited with the victory after pitching 0.2 innings of relief.
- Brent Francisco dominated the Saint Rose's bats in the series finale as the redshirt junior fired 6.0 innings, allowing one run on two hits while striking out a pair. Francisco moved to 2-0 on the season and kept his ERA to 1.50 over 12 innings pitched. In his season debut, Mike Yates was phenomenal as the redshirt senior pitched a spotless 2.0 innings in relief, punching out a trio of Golden Knights.
- ESU ran all over Saint Rose the last two days as the Warriors went 24-of-28 on stolen base attempts, which included matching the single-game record with 10 in the series finale today. The Warriors brought their season total to 33 stolen bases which ranks sixth in all of NCAA Division II.
- In today's NCBWA Atlantic Region Poll, the Warriors jumped back up to No. 3 but that did not include today's victories
How it Happened – Game One (ESU 4, Saint Rose 3)
The Golden Knights grabbed a lead in their first at bats of the twin bill as the Golden Knights used a walk and a base hit to plate a run. A leadoff free pass from Ryan McGee and a single from Vince Venditti put both runners in scoring position which allowed Jack McDonald to loft a sacrifice fly to right field to make the score 1-0.
ESU got the run back in the home half of the inning as Piripavel came around to score following a leadoff walk. The redshirt sophomore stole second and advanced to third on a fly out to deep right field before Rothenhausler singled him home to tie the game at 1-1.
Saint Rose regained a 2-1 lead in the top of the third inning as Ryan McGee crossed home plate after starting the frame with a double down the left field line. McGee advanced to third on a fly out before coming around to score on a sacrifice fly from McDonald.
After Chase Carroll retired seven consecutive ESU batters, the Warriors put together a two-out rally in the bottom of the fifth inning to tie the game at 2-2. Kelly drew a five pitch walk and swiped second base before crossing home plate on a RBI single off the bat of Piripavel down the right field line.
With two outs and runners on the corners in the top of the seventh inning, Venditti produced an RBI base hit into left field to put the Golden Knights back in front, 3-2.
Down to their final out in the bottom of the seventh inning, Cruz drove in
Mike Kelly and Piatkiewicz on a bloop single to lift the Warriors to a 4-3 victory in game three of the series. The stage was set for the graduate student after Kelly walk, Pirivpavel singled, and
Cameron Hubbard drew a free pass to load the bases.
How it Happened – Game Two (ESU 5, Saint Rose 4)
ESU took advantage of a Golden Knight's error in the bottom of the second inning to push across a run for a 1-0 lead. After Rothenhausler worked a leadoff walk, the sophomore advanced to third following a single from Ervolina and a bobble by the Saint Rose centerfielder. With one out and runners in scoring position, Cruz delivered a chopper to third base which allowed Rothenhausler to race home.
After a leadoff single, which was followed by a ground-rule double, the Golden Knights scratched in run on an RBI groundout from Ward to tie the score at 1-1.
The Warriors broke the game open in the bottom of the sixth inning with four runs on four hits to regain a 5-1 lead. Ervolina got ESU started with a leadoff single before advancing to third on a stolen base and a throwing error by the catcher. The sophomore would score on an RBI double from
Parker Frey, who made the score 3-1 on a sacrifice fly from
Connor Reilly. Then with Kelly on second, Piripavel recorded a broken bat single through the right side until eventually crossing home plate on a single from Piatkiewicz to put ESU ahead by four runs.
A rally by Saint Rose in the top of the ninth inning came up short as the Golden Knights scored three runs on four hits to make the final score 5-4 in favor of ESU. With two outs, James Ward singled home a run before coming around score on a double from Sean Butkowski. Saint Rose drew within one on an RBI single from Nathan Toms, but freshman Jaden Newtown struck out the final batter to earn the victory for the Warriors.
Up Next
The Warriors continue their homestand next weekend as Saint Anselm is set to visit Creekview Park on Saturday and Sunday for a three-game series.
