EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. – Shepherd (19-12-1, 15-10-1 PSAC East) and East Stroudsburg (15-15-1, 13-12-1 PSAC East) split in PSAC East baseball doubleheader action at East Stroudsburg on Friday. Shepherd gained a 5-2 win in game one, while East Stroudsburg gained the split with a 5-4 win in the nightcap.
East Stroudsburg took a 1-0 lead in the first inning in game one as Brock Kauffman walked and later scored on a double by Carson Freeman.
Shepherd took a 5-1 lead in the third. Graduate student outfielder Caleb Walls (State College, Pa./State College Area/Maryland) drove in a run when he was hit-by pitch with the bases loaded. Junior outfielder Jared Carr (Martinsburg, W.Va./St. James School) and senior first baseman Dalton Stewart (Sharpsburg, Md./Boonsboro/UMBC) each followed with two-run doubles.
East Stroudsburg added a run in the bottom of the frame on a solo homer by Brainy Rojas.
Carr went 2-for-3 and junior second baseman Tommy Gibson (Sicklerville, NJ/Williamstown/Penn State/Rowan) added a 2-for-4 effort to lead the Rams.
Senior pitcher Mitchell Wilson (Hagerstown, Md./St. James School/UMBC) (7.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 9 K, 1 BB) (1-2) gained the complete-game win. East Stroudsburg starter Chase Nowak (2.2 IP, 3 H, 5 ER, 4 Ks, 4 BB) (2-3) took the loss.
Shepherd took a 1-0 lead in the first in the nightcap as sophomore shortstop Cole Daugherty (Red Lion, Pa./Red Lion) reached on a walk and later scored on a double off the bat of graduate student outfielder Caleb Walls (State College, Pa./State College Area/Maryland).
The Warriors tied the game in the bottom of the frame behind an RBI-single by Tommy Dunleavy.
The Rams took a 2-1 lead in the third when Stewart led off with a single and later scored on a double steal.
East Stroudsburg responded in the bottom of the third as Rojas singled and scored on a double by Kauffman to tie the game.
Shepherd scored a pair of runs in the fifth to take a 4-2 lead. Gibson led off with a walk and junior catcher Zach Doss (Waldorf, Md./North Point/Maryland) followed with a single. Gibson scored on a double by senior third baseman Joey Goldsmith (Vienna, Va./James Madison/Pitt CC) and Doss scored on a sacrifice fly by Daugherty.
East Stroudsburg plated a pair of runs in the seventh on a two-run single by Kauffman to tie the game at 4-all.
The Warriors gained the win in the ninth as Rojas singled and moved to second on a single by Ben Piripavel. Rojas moved to third on a fly-out by Kauffman and later scored on a wild pitch.
Walls went 3-for-4 to lead the Rams.
Kauffman had a 4-for-5 outing to lead the Warriors.
CJ Gonzales (3.0 IP, 2 H 0 R, 6 K, 0 BB) (2-0) gained the win for East Stroudsburg. Sophomore reliever Nate Hodgkinson (Red Lion, Pa./Red Lion) (2.1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 K, 0 BB) (2-1) took the loss for the Rams.
The Rams return to action on Friday when they travel to Mansfield for a 1 p.m. doubleheader.
