BB5-2-01

ESU-Shippensburg Baseball

EAST STROUDSBURG - East Stroudsburg University bunched seven hits for six runs in the first inning and went on to trounce Shippensburg, 12-3, in the first game of a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference baseball doubleheader Wednesday.

The Red Raiders (27-21, 16-8 PSAC), who have already clinched a conference playoff berth, won the second contest, 3-1, on Jay Grant's five-hitter and Matt DeSanto's solo homer.

In the opener, the Warriors (21-18-1, 11-11 PSAC) batted around against Shippensburg's Jay Abraham, one of the conference's top pitchers, and drove him from the mound in the first inning. Tadgh LaBar, Brett Reynolds and Matt Harmic singled for one run and then after two strikeouts, Nick Farkas belted a double to centerfield for two runs.

Blake Martin singled for another run and after Steve Harris was hit by a pitch, Eric Lenz singled in the fifth run of the inning. That was all for Abraham and LaBar greeted relieved Ryan Torborg with another single for a 6-0 lead.

Harmic's two-run double highlighted a four-run rally in the third inning. Lenz and LaBar both doubled which led to a run in the fifth and Ryan Hatfield tripled and scored on Joe Sobeski's single in the sixth.

LaBar was 3-for-4, Lenz, Reynolds and Farkas all 2-for-3 and Harmic 2-for-4 with three RBIs.

Pitcher Ryan Kocher went the route to gain his fifth victory against three defeats. His only problem was the Raiders' catcher Matt DeSanto, who had a triple and two doubles for three of the team's seven hits.

In the second game, Grant limited the Warriors' to five singles, two by Hatfield, who was 2-for-3. ESU's lone run came in the first inning as Reynolds reached on an error, stole second base and came home on Bryan Yagel's single, which was his 58th RBI of the season.

With the score tied, 1-1, DeSanto belted the game-winner with a homer over the leftfield fence with two out in the third inning. Ryan Lindstadt drove in the Red Raiders' other two runs with a triple in the second inning and a single in the sixth.

(first game)

Shippensburg 000 100 2 3- 7-2

East Stroudsburg 604 011 x 12-15-0

Paul Abraham, Ryan Torborg(1), Kevin Millard (6) and Matt DeSanto; Gordy Kocher and Eric Lenz. LP - Abraham

2B - Sh, DeSanto, Todd Day; ES, Tadgh LaBar, Matt Harmic, Eric Lenz

3B - Sh, DeSanto; ES - Ryan Hatfield

(second game)

Shippensburg 011 001 0 3-8-2

East Stroudsburg 100 000 0 1-5-1

Jay Grant and Matt DeSanto; Ryan Amey and Eric Lenz

2B - Sh, Steve Berkey 2

3B - Sh, Jeremy Roskovensky, Ran Lindstadt

HR - Sh, Matt DeSanto 3rd (none on)

Records: Shippensburg 27-21 (16-8 PSAC), ESU 21-18-1 (11-11 PSAC)