By Cory Nidoh
Asst. Sports Editor
As spring begins to bloom, the ESU Warriors try to spring forward in the PSAC East standings with their season at its peak.
The Warriors had a grueling stretch in their schedule where they hit the diamond ten times in a seven-day stretch and went 5-5.
The Warriors hosted The Bald Eagles on Sunday after splitting the first two games of their series in Lock Haven the day before.
The Warriors lost a tough first game as Lock Haven took the victory with a late rally. The Bald Eagles started off the game with an early run as they were able to get to ESU’s starter senior Matt Smith.
Lock Haven sent seven batters up to the dish but Smith was able to limit the damage to a lone run.
ESU couldn’t get it going offensively and didn’t punch a ball through the infield until the bottom of the fourth for two runs. The inning wasn’t off to a productive start and the first two batters struck out.
However, the middle of the line-up for ESU came through. Senior outfielder Chris Knott hit a two-out double which was followed by senior catcher Nico Delerme’s walk.
Senior Eric Forth came up with a clutch single that drove in both Knott and Delerme to make it a 2-1 lead in favor of the Warriors.
ESU had some sloppy play which allowed Lock Haven to answer back. After the first batter was retired, ESU committed two errors on the same play that allowed a base runner to get into scoring position.
Smith then threw a wild pitch, advanced the runner to third, and then gave up a base knock to cleanup hitter Austin Botts, tieing the score at 2-2. ESU had a chance to push the go-ahead run across in the bottom of the sixth, but Delerme was gunned out at third base and the threat ended.
Lock Haven rallied when they scored the go ahead run and sent seven batters to the plate to take a 3-2 lead. ESU went down in order in the bottom of the frame to end the game.
The second game fared much better as ESU rode the right arm of sophomore Brandon Holup as he threw a one-hit shutout for his third straight conference win.
Redshirt sophomore first baseman Matt Walewski led the offensive surge as he drove in three runs in the game, while Delerme and Knott combined for six of the nine walks for the Warriors.
Holup’s effort capped off a two win week for the righty as he won the PSAC East Pitcher of the Week Award.
With the win, the Warriors improved to 20-11 and are ranked fourth in the Atlantic Regional Poll.
Email Cory at:
cnidoh@live.esu.edu