STROUDSBURG, Pa. — In two down-to-the-wire finishes, the ESU baseball team came out on top in both games of Saturday's doubleheader against Millersville from Creekview Park, winning 1-0 and 5-4 while improving to 13-7.
PITCHING NOTABLES
- Evan Hughes threw another gem today in the first game, setting the tone with six scoreless innings. He struck out six Marauders en route to his fifth win in as many decisions.
- Jake Albert rebounded with his third save of the year to complete the shutout in game one of the day. He threw 10 pitches as he forced two groundouts and a flyout.
- Ethan Woods started for ESU in the second game, making it through five strong innings to open the game. He settled in after the second inning, finishing with over half his putouts coming by strikeout.
- Cole Dymek worked his way out of a jam in the sixth, finishing with four strikeouts in 1.2 IP.
- Johansel Brito ended up getting credit for the win, as he recorded the final out of the top of the seventh inning, his first decision of the season.
BATTING NOTABLES
- Cole Serfass had his best day as a Warrior when ESU needed it most. He came through with three hits and two RBIs, driving in the only run in the first game.
- Walker Zampella was the other Warrior to generate offense with his bat, scoring the first run for ESU in the second game. He finished the day with a hit in each game as the leadoff spot in ESU's lineup, scoring once as well.
- Christian Maccarrone and Aidan Butz recorded the game-tying and game-winning RBI, both by walk. With the bases loaded and two outs, both drew bases on balls to earn the walk-off win.
GAME ONE
- After a three-up, three-down first inning for both Hughes and Matt Shamany, both teams got runners on base in the second. With runners on first and second base for Millersville, Hughes worked himself out of trouble by striking out Sammy Laux and Conor McCartney to move on to the bottom of the inning. Parker Frey got the first hit of the day for the Warriors with a lead-off single, but Shamany retired the next three ESU batters to end the inning.
- Both pitchers and defenses held up through the first five innings, as each team threw out a runner attempting to steal second base as well. The Warriors finally broke through for the game's first and only run in the bottom of the sixth inning. Walker Zampella led off with a sharply hit ground ball to third base for a single, advancing to second base in the next at-bat. Serfass came up to the plate, delivering in a 1-0 count with a single to left field, bringing Zampella home for the lead.
- With a one-run lead, the Warriors turned to Albert to close out the game. He recorded a flyout and groundout in his first two batters faced, but the Marauders got on base with a Sammy Laux single with two outs. Albert held strong, forcing a softly hit ground ball to Zameplla for the game's final out.
GAME TWO
- The Marauders struck first in the second inning of game two, taking a 2-0 lead. Christo Hunsicker reached first base on an infield single, and, with two outs, Laux sent a ball over the fence to give Millersville the early lead.
- Woods finished his last full inning on the mound in the top of the fifth, capping a strong performance with his eighth strikeout of the day. He only gave up the two runs on four hits, moving his season ERA to 3.65.
- The ESU bats came to life in the bottom of the fifth, finally getting through against Rece Ritchey. Albert got the action started with a one-out single to left field, moving up to second base on a passed ball before Zander Condeelis got on board with a four-pitch walk. Zampella came through as the order turned over, sending a ball down the left field line that scored one and moved Condeelis up to second base. After Troy Davis was walked to load the bases, Serfass came up with another clutch hit. Singling through the left side, Condeelis scored easily, and Zampella came around from second base to put ESU up 3-2 with the three-run inning.
- The Marauders' top hitters responded for Millersville, as Matthew Williams began the top of the sixth inning with a double and Jimmy Kirk worked a walk. Cole Dymek was ESU's first pitcher out of the bullpen in game two, facing bases loaded with no outs after Brady Ebbert laid down a bunt single. Dymek delivered three straight strikeouts, stranding three Marauders on the bases to preserve the 3-2 lead.
- However, next time up, Millersville found the offense they needed to preserve the game and retake the lead. With two outs, Donis Rodriguez took ball four in a full count, stealing second with Williams up to bat. He then hit another double to left field, trading places with Rodriguez to tie the game. Kirk then hit a ground ball that was just out of the reach of a diving Zampella, scoring Williams with a single to right field.
- Adam Hajdak got the Marauders out of the fifth inning and through the sixth, but Millersville turned to Gavin Lill for the bottom of the seventh. ESU took advantage of the change, showing off its plate discipline by loading the bases with a full-count walk to Davis, Ryan Manning getting hit by a pitch, and then Frey drawing another base on balls. After Lill got a strikeout for the second out of the inning, Maccarone came up to bat. He took a first-pitch strike, but watched the next four pitches go outside the zone to tie the game. With the score 4-4, Butz was due up next. He fell down in a 0-2 hole early, but battled back as he took the next three pitches. He fouled the sixth pitch of the at-bat backwards to preserve the at-bat, then took ball four as ESU came away with the walk-off victory.
GAME NOTES
- Going back to 2003, since records were kept of walk-off wins in ESU program history, ESU and Millersville have played 94 times. This is the first recorded time that the Warriors have won in walk-off fashion over the Marauders.
UP NEXT
The Warriors look for their first four-game series win against Millersville since 2010, as yesterday's second game will now be played on Monday, March 23. First pitch will be at noon from Cooper Park in Millersville, Pa.
