Box Score

CLEARWATER, Fla. – East Stroudsburg University scored two runs in the eighth inning and five in the ninth to rally for a 9-5 win over Upper Iowa and improve its school-record start to 8-0 on Sunday on Florida's Gulf Coast.

The Warriors, ranked No. 5 in the NCBWA Atlantic Region poll, opened their eight-game trip over spring break with a victory by overcoming a 5-2 deficit entering the top of the eighth inning. ESU scored two in the eighth on an RBI double by junior 2B Ryan Guarino and a sacrifice fly by redshirt junior 3B Jake Griesemer before junior SS Evan Gallagher was thrown out at home to end the inning after a single by sophomore 1B Brian Ernst.

After a 1-2-3 frame of relief by freshman Keenan Stare in the bottom of the eighth, the Warriors went back to work with the bats in the top of the ninth. The inning started with some good fortune when junior OF Carey Zimmerman struck out but reached on a passed ball and sophomore DH Tom Spilatore singled and sophomore OF Evan Cain walked to load the bases.

Guarino had the game-tying hit with an RBI single, Gallagher drove in the go-ahead run with a single and Griesemer drew a bases loaded walk to make it 7-5. Sophomore OF Eric Boyer lifted a sacrifice fly to plate the fourth run of the inning and Ernst finished a 4-for-6, three RBI day with an RBI single to give ESU a four-run lead.

Junior Ryan Beck pitched the ninth inning, facing three batters and getting a fielders' choice and a line-drive double play after hitting the first batter he faced. Beck did not enter with a save situation but had two saves in the Warriors' 7-0 start with a three-game sweep at Saint Augustine's and a four-game sweep at Chowan in February.

The game was tied 1-1 through six innings, with both teams scoring a run in the third, before ESU took a 2-1 lead in the top of the seventh on a two-out double by Ernst that scored Boyer (walk) from first.

Upper Iowa answered with four in the bottom of the seventh, getting a three-run homer from leadoff hitter Nick Bergemann and scoring their final run on an error, but the Warriors rallied over the final two frames.

Redshirt sophomore Andy Noga made his third start of the season, going 6.1 innings and allowing four runs on six hits, walking two and striking out six, before being relieved by freshman Keith Moyer after the home run in the seventh. Stare pitched a perfect eighth with two strikeouts and Beck handled the ninth. Noga was 2-0 and didn't allowed an earned run over 9.0 innings in his first two starts.

Josh McKeon gave up two runs in 7.0 innings for Upper Iowa, surrendering six of ESU's 13 hits, walking eight and striking out 12 in a strong performance. The Warriors hit Trey Cook for two runs on three hits in the eighth, and got to Josh Luke for five runs (two earned) on four hits and three walks in the ninth.

Ernst was 4-for-6 with a double and three RBI from the cleanup spot, following leadoff hitter Gallagher (2-for-6, run, RBI) and No. 3 hitter Boyer (2-for-4, two doubles, walk, RBI, two runs). Guarino was 2-for-5 with a double, two RBI and two runs from the No. 9 spot and Spilatore also had two hits.

ESU will put its undefeated record on the line twice on Monday, facing Alderson-Broaddus (W.V.) and Urbana (Ohio) in a pair of nine-inning games.