STROUDSBURG – The 17th-ranked East Stroudsburg University baseball kept its program-record win streak alive as redshirt freshman
Walker Zampella delivered the game-winning hit to lift the Warriors past Queens, 6-5, on Tuesday afternoon at Creekview Park.
Jack Rothenhausler started the drama in the bottom of the ninth inning as the junior blasted his second solo home run of the afternoon to tie that score at 5-5, before the next two batters reached via walks to put pressure on the Knights. After a flyout moved pinch runner
Tanner Vicendese to third base, Zampella roped an RBI single into left center field to walk it off for ESU.
The Warriors pushed their win streak to 17 games, improved to 20-3 on the season and remained a perfect 11-0 at Creekview Park while Queens dropped to 12-9 overall headed back into East Coast Conference action.
Batting Notables
- Senior Mike Kelly (3-for-5) and sophomore Shanley Wall (2-for-5) continued to be a 1-2 punch at the top of the Warriors lineup as the duo combined to go 5-for-10 at the plate with two runs batted in and three runs scored
- Rothenhausler finished 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs after launching his second and third home runs of the season
- Redshirt junior Cameron Hubbard (1-for-3), redshirt senior Tim Haverstick (1-for-3, two walks) and freshman Troy Davis (1-for-2, walk) each collected a hit
- Phil Krpata paced Queens offensively with a three-run home run while Francis Segarra (4-for-5) and Robert Jacobsen (3-for-4) combined for seven of the 14 Knights' hits
Pitching Notables
- After ESU pitching yielded five runs on seven hits through the first two innings, the combination of junior Greg Wiley (2.1 innings), redshirt senior Vincent Cenname (2.0 innings) and senior Jack Nielsen (3.0 innings) limited Queens to eight hits and zero runs while striking out five Knights.
- Nielsen (1-0) collected his first victory of the season and fourth of his career after throwing a scoreless final three innings of relief
- Making his second start of the year, redshirt freshman J.J. Hood surrendered five runs on six hits to go along with two punchouts
How it Happened – ESU 6, Queens 5
ESU continued to execute in the bottom of the first inning as the Warriors scored two runs on two hits to grab a 2-0 lead. After Kelly led off the frame with a single, the senior stole second and came around to score on a double to left field from Wall. Then with runners on second and third, Rothenhausler lofted a sacrifice fly to center field to plate Wall for the second run.
Queens hung a crooked number on the scoreboard in the top of the second inning as the Knights pushed across five runs on five hits to jump ahead 5-2. Krapta highlighted the frame with a three-run home run to left field while Jaden Rivera and Francis Segarra each drove in a run.
The Warriors got one run back in the bottom of the third inning as Wall singled home Kelly, who tripled to lead off the frame, to cut the Knights' edge to 5-3.
ESU continued to inch closer in the bottom of the seventh inning as Rothenhausler belted a solo home run to left field to pull the Warriors within one run at 5-4.
With one out in the bottom of the ninth inning, ESU scratched across two runs using two hits and pair of walks to earn their first walk-off win of the season. Rothenhausler crushed his second home run in as many innings to tie the game at 5-5, before Frey and Davis walked to put the winning run on base. After a flyout from Haverstick advanced to the runner to third, Zampella delivered the game-winning single.
Up Next
ESU returns to PSAC East play on Friday as the Warriors travel to Mansfield for doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. from Joseph Shaute Field
