PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – Trailing 6-5 after the sixth inning, the No. 7/14th-ranked East Stroudsburg University baseball team scored six straight runs to revenge last month's loss to Pace as the Warriors defeated the Setters, 11-7, on Tuesday afternoon at Peter X. Finnerty Field.
Headed into their final 13 games of the regular season, the Warriors hold a 29-5 record overall while the Setters fell to 20-7.
Notables
- Jeremy Piatkiewicz supplied the power for ESU as the junior went 2-for-5 with his fourth home run of the season and a triple while driving in four runs
- Sophomore Jack Rothenhausler produced his fourth three-hit game of the season, bringing in a pair of runs and scoring once
- Cameron Hubbard (2-for-6, two RBI, two runs), Victor Cruz (2-for-4, one walk, one RBI) and Matt Ervolina (2-for-5, one RBI, one run) each had two hits for the Warriors
- Leading off for the Warriors, Ben Piripavel finished 3-for-5 with one walk, two runs scored and a pair of stolen bases
- Ranking second in the NCAA Division II for stolen bases, the Warriors swiped four more bags to increase their season total to 137. ESU needs four more stolen bases to break the single-season record of 140 set in 2022.
- Quinn Warmkessel (2-0) earned the win after throwing a scoreless 3.0 innings in relief and striking out four. Making the start, freshman Ryan Dewees went 3.0 innings, allowing one unearned run on two hits.
- For the second consecutive week, Chase Nowak was honored as the PSAC East and NCBWA Atlantic Region Pitcher of the Week
- In this week's polls, ESU moved up two spots to No. 9 in the College Baseball Division Top 30 and claimed the top spot in the NCBWA Atlantic Region Poll, receiving all 11 first-place votes. The NCBWA Top 25 and Perfect Game Top 25 will be announced on Wednesday.
How it Happened – ESU 11, Pace 7
ESU wasted no time scoring the game's first run as the Warriors took a 1-0 lead over Pace in the top of the first inning. Piripavel led off with a double to center field, advanced to third base on a groundout and raced home on a fielder's choice, which gave Hubbard an RBI.
In the top of the third inning, the Warriors used three hits to plate two more runs, extending their advantage to 3-0. Piatkiewicz got the frame started with a solo blast to center field and Piripavel followed with a base hit, before coming around to score on a double down the left field line off the bat of Rothenhausler.
The Setters chipped away at their deficit in the home half of the inning as Nate Carminucci scored Pace's first run to make the score 3-1. Carminucci led off with a walk before a series of plays, which included a throwing error by ESU, allowed him to cross home plate.
The Warriors got the run right back and more in the top of the fifth inning as ESU pushed their lead back to 5-1. Kelly got ESU started with a lead off single, advanced to third on a failed pickoff and came around to score on an RBI single from Hubbard. After Hubbard stole second, Rothenhausler gave the Warriors a four-run cushion with a run scoring base hit.
Pace tied it up in the bottom of the fifth inning as Anthony Labita produced a grand slam to right center field to even the score at 5-5.
The Setters would then take their first lead of the afternoon in the very next inning as Matthew Rinaldi belted a solo home run to make the score 6-5.
ESU responded in a big fashion in the top of the sixth inning, scoring five runs on four hits and a Pace error to regain a 10-6 lead. Back-to-back singles from Rothenhausler and Hubbard, followed by a throwing miscue and wild pitch tied the score at 6-6. Then with runners on the corners, Ervolina singled through the left side to put ESU back ahead, 7-6. After
Tommy Ajjan worked a walk to load the bases, Piatkiewicz capped off the scoring with a three-run triple.
The Warriors added an insurance run in the top of the eighth inning with a RBI single from Cruz to stretch ESU's edge to 11-6.
Up Next
ESU resumes conference play on Friday as the Warriors welcome Bloomsburg to Creekview Park to open the three-game PSAC East series at 2 p.m.
