EAST STROUDSBURG – In the PSAC East openers for both teams, the 18th-ranked East Stroudsburg University baseball team and Shepherd split the doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at Fairfax Field.
The Warriors (13-3, 1-1 PSAC East) stretched their win streak to 11 games with an 8-2 victory in the opener before the Rams (9-6, 1-1 PSAC East) took down ESU, 7-2, in game two.
With a strikeout in the top of the first inning of game one, graduate student
Chase Nowak became the program's all-time strikeout leader with 239 and counting. Nowak eclipsed the previous record of 238 held by Jeremy Gigliotti (2007-11).
The Wilkes-Barre native was brilliant once again, firing 5.0 shutout innings while scattering a pair of hits and striking out five.
Notables
- Sophomore Matt Ervolina finished the twin bill 3-for-8 with a double, four RBI, three runs scored and a stolen base
- Making a pair of starts at third base, graduate student Victor Cruz was 4-for-7 with a pair of doubles, one walk and one run
- Totaling three hits each was Cammeron Hubbard, who went 3-for-7 with a triple, one RBI and one run, while Jack Rothenhausler was 3-for-6 with a double, one walk and one run scored
- Recording a pair of hits for the Warriors was Ben Piripavel (2-for-6, one walk, two runs), Mike Kelly (2-for-5, one double, two walks, two RBI, one run, one stolen base) and Jeremy Piatkiewicz (2-for-8, one run)
- In game two, Brent Francisco (4-1) suffered his first loss of the season as the redshirt junior allowed four runs (one earned) on four hits in 3.0 innings of work
- Notching his 23rd career victory, Nowak (23-7) is only one win away from surpassing former ESU standout and current Seattle Mariners reliever Matt Festa (23-7, 2014-16).
- On the afternoon, the Warriors totaled four more steals to increase their season total to 69. Coming into Sunday, ESU ranked second in NCAA Division II behind Newberry (73 stolen bases).
- In this week's NCBWA Polls, the Warriors jumped up to No. 18 in the Top 25 and moved to No. 2 in the Atlantic Region after receiving a pair of first-place votes. ESU was slotted at No. 14 in the latest edition of the College Baseball Division II Top 25.
How it Happened – ESU 8, Shepherd 2 (Game One)
With one out in the bottom of the first inning, the Warriors strung together three consecutive singles from Ervolina, Hubbard and Rothenhausler to load the bases. Ervolina would score the first run of the game on a pass ball and then a RBI groundout from
Parker Frey gave ESU a 2-0 lead.
Using three hits and a trio of walk, ESU stretched their advantage to 5-0 in the home half of the second inning. Cruz got the Warriors started with a leadoff double before Kelly worked a walk and Piripavel flared a single into center field to load the bases. Ervolina would then deliver a bases clearing double to put ESU ahead by five runs.
With two outs and runners on the corner, Ervolina drove in his fourth run of the opener with an infield single to push the Warriors' lead to 6-0 in the bottom of the third inning. ESU continued the two-out offense as Hubbard singled through the right side, bringing home Piripavel which made the score 7-0 in favor of the Warriors.
ESU scored for the fourth consecutive inning as Haverstick lofted a sacrifice fly into center field, which allowed Rothenhausler to race home to make the score 8-0.
The Rams got on the scoreboard with two runs in the top of the sixth inning to make the final score 8-2. With runners on first and second, Connor Dewees singled in a run before Zach Doss raced home on a wild pitch.
How it Happened – Shepherd 7, ESU 2 (Game Two)
Shepherd carried over their momentum into game two, scoring a trio of runs in the top of the first inning to take a 3-0 lead. The Rams took advantage of an ESU error to plate the first run, before a double play ball resulted in the second score. Shepherd capped off the frame with a solo home run to right field by Dewees.
On the first pitch in the top of the third inning, Cole Daugherty belted a solo home run to center field to extend the Rams' edge to 4-0.
The Rams tacked on a pair of runs in the top half of the fifth inning as Ross Mulhall delivered a two-run shot to left centerfield to make the score 6-0 in favor of Shepherd.
With two outs in the top of the seventh inning, Shepherd got a RBI single from Wyatt Miles to make the score 7-0.
The Warriors avoided the shutout in their final at-bats as Kelly doubled home Piatkiewicz and
Tim Haverstick to make the final score 7-2.
Up Next
For the first time in 12 games, the Warriors hit the road for a non-conference four-game series against Pitt-Johnstown on Saturday and Sunday at Point Stadium
