EAST STROUDSBURG – With the help of a grand slam and a two-run home run from sophomore
Matt Ervolina in the series finale, the 12/14th-ranked East Stroudsburg University baseball team split a PSAC East doubleheader with West Chester on Saturday afternoon at Creekview Park.
The Warriors (31-9, 12-6 PSAC East) snapped their skid with an 11-4 win in game two while the Golden Rams (25-13, 11-7) defeated ESU, 3-2, in the opener to take the season series.
Notables
- Ervolina finished game two with six runs batted in, the most by any ESU player since Carson Freeman recorded seven against Shippensburg back on March 12, 2021. The Breinigsville native's grand slam in the series finale was the first by a Warriors since graduate student Drew Hefner back on March 2, 2022, vs. USciences.
- Junior Cameron Hubbard finished the twin bill 3-for-7 with one RBI, two runs scored and a pair of stolen bases
- Batting at the top and bottom of the line up, Mike Kelly went 3-for-6 with a walk, two RBI, three runs scored and one stolen base
- Starting both games in right field, redshirt freshman Parker Frey was 3-for-5 with one walk, RBI and run a piece
- Tom Reisinger (4-2) suffered the loss in the opener after pitching 5.0 innings, allowing two runs on four hits while punching out nine Golden Rams
- Mike Yates (2-1) was brilliant in relief to earn the victory in the series finale as the junior fired 3.0 scoreless innings, scattering four hits and striking out a pair. Getting the start, Brent Francisco went 4.0 innings, yielding four runs on eight hits and striking out two.
- Between both games of the double header, Nick McAuliffe totaled 2.1 innings pitched, surrendering one run on two hits to go along with three strikeouts
- Senior Scott Shamany (1.0 innings, one strikeout) and freshman Jaden Newton (0.2 innings, one strikeout) pitched in relief
- In this week's polls, the Warriors were No. 2 in the NCBWA Atlantic Region Roll, receiving a pair of first-place votes and were slotted No. 14 in the NCBWA Top 25. ESU was No. 12 in the Collegiate Baseball Division II Poll and ranked high as No. 7 by the Perfect Game Top 25
How it Happened – WCU 3, ESU 2 (Game One)
ESU manufactured a two-out rally in the bottom of the first inning as Hubbard was hit by a pitch and stole second before ultimately coming around to score on a single from
Jack Rothenhausler, giving the Warriors a 1-0 lead.
In the top of the fifth inning, West Chester scored twice on a pair of hits to take their first lead of the game at 2-1. Corey Stouffer led off the frame with a solo home run to right field to tie it up at 1-1. Then with two outs, Joe Kaleck produced a run scoring single through the left side to put the Golden Rams ahead.
The Golden Rams added a key insurance run in the top of the seventh inning as Zach Miles plated a run on a single to right field to make the score 3-1 in favor of WCU.
ESU's comeback fell short in the home half of the inning as Hubbard cut the Warriors deficit to 3-2 with a run scoring single. ESU had runners on first and second with two outs but failed to bring home the tying run.
How it Happened – ESU 11, WCU 4 (Game Two)
Following a scoreless two innings, the Golden Rams exploded with four runs on six hits in the top of the third to grab a 4-0 lead. Luke Cantwell delivered a bases clearing double, and Julian Costa added collected a RBI on a base hit.
The Warriors wasted no time responding in the bottom half of the frame as Ervolina belted a grand slam over the right centerfield fence to even the score at 4-4. The table was set for the sophomore following singles from
Tim Haverstick and Kelly, as well as a walk issued to
Jeremy Piatkiewicz.
ESU took their first lead of the series finale in the bottom of the fourth inning, plating two runs on one hit to make the score 6-4. Kelly delivered a clutch two-out base knock as the junior drove in Haverstick and
Victor Cruz.
The Warriors continued to tack on to their advantage in the bottom of the fifth inning, scoring three more times to make the score 9-4. With runners in scoring position, Frey delivered a RBI single to put ESU ahead 7-4. Cruz followed with a sacrifice fly and an error kept the frame alive to plate one additional run.
Ervolina put the game out of reach in the bottom of the sixth inning when the sophomore crushed a two-run home run to make the final score 11-4 in favor of the Warriors.
Up Next
ESU continues PSAC East play next weekend as the Warriors open a three-game series at Kutztown on Friday at 2 p.m. On Saturday, ESU welcomes the Golden Bears to Creekview Park for Alumni Day and Senior Day.
