ALLENTOWN, Pa. – The Kutztown University baseball team opened its final series of the season on Thursday with a doubleheader against the East Stroudsburg Warriors at Allentown's Coca-Cola Park, home of Minor League Baseball's Lehigh Valley IronPigs, losing 13-0 and 3-1 in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East Division action.
The Golden Bears (16-27, 6-20 PSAC East) knew of the tall task it had against a postseason bound opponent, and while it hoped to use the energy coming from those in the stands, the team was outmatched by a high-octane Warriors (33-13, 19-7 PSAC East) squad that entered the day with the second seed in the East Division.
Game 1: East Stroudsburg 13, Kutztown 0
The Warriors opened the game with five runs on three hits and continued to put up efficient plate appearances on its way to more runs throughout the first game.
ESU followed up its strong start with scores in each of the last five innings. Kutztown frontline pitcher
Abel Saft (Kintnersville, Pa./Moravian Academy) (L, 2-7) pitched the first four innings for KU, striking out one across 94 pitches. Relievers
Shane Rosenberry (Reading, Pa./Muhlenberg) and
Colten Mathias (Kutztown, Pa./Kutztown) were called upon to calm the storm, but put up more of the same in defeat.
East Stroudsburg's Ryan Dewees (W, 7-2) held the Golden Bears to just three hits while striking out nine across five innings of shutout baseball. Kutztown center fielder
Bo Barthol (Breinigsville, Pa./Parkland) went 2-for-3 at the plate and had four putouts in the field. ESU collected 12 runs on nine hits, while Kutztown had a trio of hits on the afternoon.
Game 2: East Stroudsburg 3, Kutztown 1
It was much more of a pitcher's battle in the second game of the day, as ESU's Ethan Woods (W, 5-3) topped KU's
Kooper Zdimal (Morgantown, Pa./Twin Valley) (L, 4-3) with a complete game, five-strikeout performance.
The Warriors' bats were tamed across five innings for the young Kutztown righty starter, as he had three strikeouts of his own over 104 pitches. However, an early surge of extra-base hits in the second and third innings led East Stroudsburg to it's 19th conference win of the year.
Six different KU batters recorded hits across the game, including an RBI by left fielder and ESU transfer
Joel Bonner (Hulmeville, Pa./Neshaminy) to send home pinch runner
Zach Tropiano (Springfield, Pa./Springfield). Unfortunately for the Golden Bears, it was too little, too late, as ESU claimed the two-game set. The visiting team on the scoreboard scored its three runs on eight hits, while KU had a run on five hits and an error in defeat.
Kutztown and East Stroudsburg finished their second two-game set at Coca-Cola Park in the last three seasons, with the Warriors claiming each game in 2024 in Kutztown's first appearance at the home of the Philadelphia Phillies' Triple-A affiliate. Thursday's game provided the opportunity for first-year Kutztown president Dr. Philip Cavalier to show of his arm, as he threw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the first game.
The Golden Bears will have an opportunity to get back against the Warriors tomorrow at Stroudsburg's Creekview Park, where they will play the last two games of its 2026 campaign with games at 1:00 and 3:30 p.m.
