SLIPPERY ROCK – Facing elimination after dropping a 4-1 decision to West Chester in the semifinals, the 18th-ranked East Stroudsburg University baseball team battled back behind 8.0 scoreless innings from PSAC East Pitcher of the Year Brent Francisco to blank IUP, 2-0, on Friday at Jack Critchfield Park to advance to tomorrow's championship game.

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#18 @ESU_Baseball blanks IUP to advance to the PSAC title game for the second time in the last three years!

PSAC East Pitcher of the Year Brent Francisco tossed 8.0 scoreless innings!

Caden Parker slammed the door for his 10th save!… pic.twitter.com/LihxB3ngu7

— ESU Warriors (@ESUWarriors) May 11, 2024

With the triumph, the Warriors (41-11) tied the single season wins record set in 2022 and will look to defeat West Chester twice on Saturday to claim its sixth PSAC title in program history and first since 2013. ESU will battle the Golden Rams at 10:30 a.m. from Jack Critchfield Park.

ESU is now 20-20 all-time in the PSAC Tournament dating back to 1971 and have now advanced to the PSAC Championship game for the sixth time in its history. The Warriors are 2-3 all-time in the title game having won the PSAC title in 1957, 1963, 1969, 1971 and 2013.

Batting Notables (Game One)

• Sophomore Shanley Wall went 2-for-4 in the opener while redshirt sophomore Parker Frey (two walks) and redshirt senior Tim Haverstick each had a base hit
• Junior Jack Motherhouse finished 1-for-3 with a run scored and redshirt freshman Chaise Albus collected an RBI on a sacrifice fly

Batting Notables (Game Two)

• Jeremy Piatkiewicz sparked the Warriors offensively in game two as the senior went 1-for-2 with a go-ahead solo home run, his second of the season, one walk, one RBI and a run scored
• Albus returned to go 2-for-3 with a double, a walk and an RBI, while Haverstick went 2-for-4 with a run scored serving as the designated hitter
• Sophomore Connor Reilly was 1-for-4 while Wall and Frey each added a single

Pitching Notables (Game One)

• Freshman Peyton Brannock (5-3) suffered the loss against West Chester despite allowing one run on three hits to go along with three strikeouts in 5.0 innings pitched
• Fellow classmate Carson Renner fired 3.0 innings, allowing three runs (zero earned) on two hits while striking out one

Pitching Notables (Game Two)

• Francisco (11-1), who surrendered two hits and struck out three Crimson Hawks across his 8.0 shutout innings, continued to rewrite the record books as the Burlington Township, N.J. native tied the single season wins mark with his 11th, matching All-America Matt Festa's record of 11-2 during the 2016 season
• Junior Caden Parker was lights out to record his 10th save of the campaign which set the single-season school record previously held by Tyler Eckman (9) since 2015

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Congratulations to Caden Parker on setting the single-season record for saves!

The junior record his 10th of the year in #18 @ESU_Baseball's 2-0 win over IUP!

He surpassed Tyler Eckman's mark of nine set in 2015! #WhereWarriorsBelong pic.twitter.com/6CAfOzGoHR

— ESU Warriors (@ESUWarriors) May 11, 2024

How it Happened – WCU 4, ESU 1
West Chester broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth inning as Drew Simpson produced an RBI single up the middle to give the Golden Rams a 1-0 lead.

The Golden Rams took advantage of a two-out error by ESU in the bottom of the eighth inning as they scored three unearned runs to increase their lead to 4-1. Casey Vaughan doubled down the left-field line to drive in a pair and Simpson followed with an RBI single.

ESU made it interesting in the top of the ninth inning as the Warriors ultimately pushed across one run on two hits and a walk to make the final score 4-1. With one out and the bases loaded, Albus lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to plate Rothenhausler.

How it Happened – ESU 2, IUP 0
ESU pushed across the game's first run in the bottom of the third inning when Piatkiewicz delivered a solo home run down the left-field line to put the Warriors ahead 1-0.

The Warriors manufactured a two-out rally in the bottom of the fourth as Haverstick kept the inning alive with a single before racing home on an RBI double off the bat of Albus.

Up Next
ESU will need two wins against West Chester on Saturday to secure its sixth PSAC Championship in program history and first since 2013. The opening game is set for 110:30 a.m., while the if necessary PSAC Championship Game is set to begin shortly after the final out of game one.
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