BB4-29-01

ESU-DeSales Baseball

EAST STROUDSBURG - DeSales scored three runs in the first inning, built an 8-2 lead and then held on to defeat East Stroudsburg University, 9-8, in a non-conference baseball game Sunday on Mitterling Field.

The Bulldogs came out swinging as leadoff hitter Brett Vargo tripled to deep centerfield and Dan Lopez, Kevin Coyle and Cory Schneck all followed with run-producing singles.

They added two unearned runs in the second inning and then single runs in four more innings. Three of the runs came across on ESU throwing errors and a fourth on a wild pitch.

The Warriors rallied for four runs in the sixth inning to trim the margin to 8-6. Bryan Yagel, Ryan Hatfield and Joe Sobeski singled for one run, Nick Farkas tripled for two more runs and then Blake Martin dropped a perfect squeeze bunt for the fourth run.

DeSales upped its lead to 9-6 with a seventh inning run on Julio Acosta's single to rightfield, Brent Fehnel's bunt single and Vargo's single to rightfield.

That run proved crucial as ESU pushed across two runs in the ninth as Steve Harris singled, Bret Reynolds was hit by a pitch and Yagel brought them both home with a two-out single to leftfield. Pitcher Steve Emmerich got the final out on a grounder to first base.

Yagel went 3-for-5 to raise his team-leading hitting average to .447 with 57 RBIs. Sobeski and Farkas were both 2 for 4 and Ryan Hatfield 2 for 5.

Acosta was 3 for 5 for the Bulldogs with Brent Fehnel 2 for 3 and Vargo, Kevin Coyle and Cory Schneck all 2 for 4. DeSales second baseman Billy Reese from East Stroudsburg High School was 0 for 4 with a walk and had three putouts and three assists in the field.

The loss dropped ESU's record to 19-16-1 with seven games remaining including two at home against Shippensburg Wednesday. DeSales, which begins Middle Atlantic Conference playoff action Wednesday, is now 25-10.

DeSales 321 101 100 9-12-1

East Stroudsburg 011 004 002 8-12-4

Bret Remel, Steve Emmerthal (6) and Julio Acosta; Jason Ryan, Mike

Zimorowicz (5) and Eric Lenz, PJ Worsnick (4). WP - Remel, LP - Ryan

2B - DeS, Cory Schneck

3B - DeS, Brett Vargo; ES, Nick Farkas

Records: DeSales 25-10, ESU 19-16-1