SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University wrestling team won six out of 10 bouts Tuesday night in another hard-fought battle with Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) rival East Stroudsburg, using four pivotal decisions in the middle weights to claim a 20-15 dual-meet victory over the Warriors from Heiges Field House.
 
Shippensburg (8-5, 3-0 PSAC) had won just three of its 14 dual meets against Division II conference opponents over the last two seasons, but the Raiders have begun the 2015-16 campaign with three straight wins over PSAC Division II opponents (Seton Hill, Millersville and East Stroudsburg). SU has now won five straight dual meets over East Stroudsburg, but each match has been decided by seven points or less.
 
East Stroudsburg (5-4, 0-3 PSAC) took a 9-3 lead through three weight classes after working a late decision at 133 pounds and getting a victory by fall at 141 pounds. The evening began with freshman Dustin Steffenino scoring a 6-0 shutout at 125 pounds. Steffenino notched an early takedown, scored two back points later in the first period, and worked two escapes in the final frames to improve to 12-6 on the season.
 
The match swung in SU's favor with four consecutive wins beginning at 149 pounds, including two victories over regionally-ranked wrestlers.
 
Sophomore Cody Blankenship, wrestling for just the second time in the calendar year, notched an 11-3 major decision over ESU's Blake Cohen. Blankenship led 6-0 after the first period, scoring four back points in the frame, and led 8-3 in the final frame before reversing a takedown to claim the major decision based on a 2:55 riding-time advantage.
 
Freshman Adam Martz won his eighth straight match by defeating Joey Kratochvil, Super Region 1's No. 5-ranked wrestler, by a 2-1 decision. Martz and Kratochvil were 1-1 in the third period with just one escape to each wrestler's credit. A steady offensive by Martz forced Kratochvil onto his heels, however, and two stalling calls resulted. Martz used the point to his favor and scored the 2-1 victory.
 
Senior Mark Lentz won his third straight match at 165 pounds with a 3-0 shutout over Josh Deutel. Lentz scored a takedown 38 seconds into the first period and remained on offense for the remainder of the match, posting an impressive 6:22 riding-time advantage to obtain the 3-0 victory. Deutel chose defense to start the second period after Lentz deferred and could not escape. Lentz then stayed on offense for the third period and rode his way to the win.
  
Sophomore Hunter Fenk returned from injury to score a 3-2 decision over Joe Welk, the No. 5-ranked wrestler in Super Region 1. Fenk was taken down just 32 seconds into the match but escaped eight seconds later. Starting on defense in the second period, Fenk escaped in just four seconds, tying the score at 2-2 with just a 12-second riding-time deficit. Welk chose defense for the third period, but Fenk never let him escape, and the resulting riding-time advantage gave the Raider sophomore his sixth victory of the season.
 
Leading by four points entering the 197-pound bout, sophomore Evan Ramos clinched the dual-meet win for the Raiders with a dominant 14-2 major decision over Brandon Steele. Ramos, ranked No. 3 in Super Region 1, led 8-2 after the first period on two takedowns and a four-point near fall. He led 11-2 after two periods, surviving a shot from Steele late at the end of the second frame, and scored another takedown in the third.
 
Ramos is now 15-1 this season and has won 10 consecutive bouts.
 
Seven of Tuesday's 10 bouts featured at least one wrestler ranked in the D2Wrestle.com Super Region I rankings. Four of them: Dustin Steffenino, Tyler Richardson (ESU), Ramos, and Tyson Searer (ESU), were victorious.
 
Shippensburg travels to Lancaster on Sunday to face Division I opponent Franklin & Marshall in a 3 p.m. dual meet.
 
Shippensburg 20, East Stroudsburg 15
125: Dustin Steffenino (SHIP) dec. Collyn Dorney (ESU), 6-0 (3-0)
133: Connor Maliff (ESU) dec. Dante Steffenino (SHIP), 7-2 (3-3)
141: Dylan Nace (ESU) pins Jared Leonetti (SHIP), 5:07 (3-9)
149: Cody Blankenship (SHIP) maj. dec. Blake Cohen (ESU), 11-3 (7-9)
157: Adam Martz (SHIP) dec. Joey Kratochvil (ESU), 2-1 (10-9)
165: Mark Lentz (SHIP) dec. Josh Deutel (ESU), 3-0 (13-9)
174: Hunter Fenk (SHIP) dec. Joe Welk (ESU), 3-2 (16-9)
184: Tyler Richardson (ESU) dec. Shane Springer (SHIP), 9-4 (16-12)
197: Evan Ramos (SHIP) maj. dec. Brandon Steele (ESU), 14-2 (20-12)
285: Tyson Searer (ESU) dec. Derek Earnest (SHIP), 5-1 (20-15)

Records:
East Stroudsburg: 5-4, 0-3 PSAC
Shippensburg: 8-5, 3-0 PSAC