Evan Beach connected for his second career home run, but 13
th-ranked East Stroudsburg defeated Pitt-Johnstown 12-2 and 3-1 in the Mountain Cats' 2023 home debut. Thursday afternoon at Point Stadium. Pitt-Johnstown, which will conclude the four-game series on Friday at noon, is now 6-9.
In game one, East Stroudsburg struck for a run in the top of the first on Jack Rothenhausler triple to center, before the Warriors added two more in the fourth to make it 3-0.
The Mountain Cats cut it to 3-2 on Beach's two-out, two-run homer to left in the bottom of the fourth, but East Stroudsburg answered right back with three runs to increase it to 6-2, on its way to the 12-2 win.
Beach connected for a two-run homer, while
Devon Boyles added a triple for the Mountain Cats.
Ben Briggs suffered the loss and slipped to 1-2 after allowing five runs on six hits over the first 4.2 innings. Briggs fanned three and walked two.
In the nightcap,
Josh Ulery tripled with one out in the bottom of the third and scored on a
Jake Ansell base hit to center to give the Mountain Cats a 1-0 lead.
Rothenhausler's two-run homer to left in the top of the fourth highlighted a three-run inning that put the Warriors on top, and the East Stroudsburg pitching made it stand up.
Tom Reisinger held the Mountain Cats two on run on three hits in five innings to improve to 3-0, and Mike Yates picked -up his second save of the season after allowing just on hits over the final two innings.
Ulery tripled,
Erik Rhodes had a double, and
Joey Maun and Ansell both had hits for Pitt-Johnstown.
Seth Shuey got the start and surrendered three runs (2 earned) in 4.1 innings to fall to 0-3.
Taylor Squiric pitched 2.2 hitless innings.
East Stroudsburg is now 15-3.
Pitt-Johnstown will compete the four-game series with East Stroudsburg with a pair of games at Point Stadium on Friday starting at noon, before opening PSAC West-play at Gannon on March 24.
