STROUDSBURG, Pa. — The Warriors got their first series sweep of 2026 this weekend with a historic four-game performance against D'Youville, defeating the Saints 8-0 and 15-1 in Sunday's doubleheader.
PITCHING NOTABLES
- Evan Hughes delivered another gem for his team-leading fourth win of the season. Hughes threw six shutout innings, only allowing two hits while striking out six.
- Joe Zito finished the first game for ESU, completing his full inning with one strikeout against three batters faced.
- Cade Davis picked up his second win of the season in the final game of the series, pitching the first five innings for ESU. He finished with five strikeouts and averaged under 12 pitches per inning.
- Jaden Newton and Patrick Yoder came in for the sixth and seventh innings, with Yoder striking out two batters.
- The Warriors finished the weekend with 30 strikeouts, only allowing 13 hits and giving up 11 four-ball walks, including none in the first game.
BATTING NOTABLES
- Walker Zampella nearly joined rare air in program history, falling a single short of the cycle in the first game. After beginning his day with a walk, his plate appearances went down as a home run, double, then a triple, recording two RBIs and stealing a base.
- Braydon Hubbard set the tone for ESU in the leadoff spot, going 2-4 in game one with a home run, and 1-2 in the second game. Hubbard's home run was also the first of his career.
- Jackson Rutecki had a career day in the second game, going 2-2 with a personal-best four RBI-performance. He finished with two two-RBI base hits on a single and a double.
- Easton Albert was productive at the plate with a 1-2 and one-RBI game to start the day, going 1-1 with three more in the second.
GAME ONE
- Hubbard got the Warriors on the board in their first at-bat of the day, homering on the second pitch he saw. Hubbard hit a hard line drive down the left field line, just holding up right of the left field pole, serving as the game-winning run in ESU's first plate appearance.
- The scoring continued for ESU in the second in its best inning of the game. Troy Davis led off with a single to the third baseman, advancing to second on a wild pitch, but then stealing third base after Connor Reilly drew a walk. Albert being hit by a pitch loaded the bases for Zander Condeelis, who hit a sacrifice fly to right field that advanced the two lead runners. Hubbard tallied another RBI with a single through the right side to score Reilly, and Zampella hit his first home run of the season to complete the four-run inning.
- D'Youville got its first base runner of the game off a throwing error in the top of the third, but Hughes still got through the inning, only facing three batters. He started with his fourth strikeout, then forced an inning-ending double play. The next time up to bat, ESU had Parker Frey and Davis off walks and wild pitches. Reilly added another runner by also getting on with a base on balls, and Albert hit a single to right that moved everyone up a base to make it 6-0.
- Zampella led off for ESU in the bottom of the fourth, pushing a double to right field. Frey and Aidan Butz followed up with walks to load the bases. Davis came up to the plate, hitting a lineout to center field that scored Zampella for a 7-0 lead.
- The last scoring of the first game for ESU came in the bottom of the fifth, with Albert creating some chaos on the basepaths. Albert reached first on an error, advancing to second while the Saints tried collecting the errant throw. With two outs, Albert stole third, making it home after another throwing error sent the ball into left field.
GAME TWO
- With the series already clinched, ESU poured it on in the fourth and final game of the weekend. The Warriors loaded the bases before D'Youville could record an out in the bottom of the first, as Frey hit a double to left-center field and scored Hubbard and Zampella. With Davis on first base after being hit by a pitch, Reilly knocked a single up the middle for two more runs. The two then both stole a base to move up to third and second, coming home after a single from Albert that chased the Saints' starting pitcher. Condeelis got on base with a single to the outfield as the lineup turned over, and after the bases became loaded again, Cole Serfass was hit by a pitch for the seventh run of the inning.
- ESU loaded the bases again in the bottom of the second, scoring twice this time. Condeelis drew a base on balls for the first one, and Hubbard hit a chopper to the third baseman, with his only play being to step on the base.
- The Warriors added three more in the bottom of the third to reach double-digits. A Serfass walk, Frey single, and Davis walk got the Warriors into a bases-loaded situation for the third-straight inning to start the game. Rutecki came into the game for Reilly, hitting a double to right field that moved everyone up two bases. After a D'Youville pitching change, Albert hit a sacrifice fly to right field, allowing Davis to make it home and make it 12-0.
- With two outs in the bottom of the fourth, Chase Frantz came into the game for Frey, reaching in his first appearance on an error. Ryan Manning hit a grounder to third and beat the throw to first, and Butz wore another pitch to put a Warrior on every base. Rutecki delivered with another two-RBI base hit, this time with a single to center field.
- Hughes completed his outing with a scoreless fifth, finishing the game with a strikeout in each inning. After D'Youville spoiled the shutout in the sixth inning, the Warriors got the run back from a sacrifice fly by Condeelis that scored Manning to make it 15-1. Yoder made his second appearance of the season by recording the final three outs, two by strikeout, to preserve the final score.
SERIES NOTES
- The Warriors had a historic performance both at the plate and on the mound in their series against the Saints. Since ESU began playing four-game series in 2004, the Warriors allowed the fewest runs ever, just two over the weekend. It's the third time that ESU has allowed four or fewer runs in a four-game series.
- The Warriors also scored 40 or more runs for the seventh time in program history, each time under Head Coach John Kochmansky, with all seven times occurring since the 2011 season.
- Lastly, their +38 run differential is the second-best all-time in program history, only behind a +40 run differential against Chowan in 2011.
UP NEXT
The Warriors are slated to have some time off before their next game, with a 10-day break between today and their matchup versus Jefferson. They'll play the Rams at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18, for a single, nine-inning game at Creekview Park before beginning PSAC play.
