Box Score

STROUDSBURG – Redshirt sophomore pitcher Nate Fiala retired 12 consecutive batters and allowed one unearned run on Thursday as the East Stroudsburg University baseball team improved to 4-1 at home this season with a 9-1 victory against American International at Creekview Park.
 
The Warriors (6-1) recorded 17 hits in the contest, including a four-hit performance from redshirt senior Christian Rishel. ESU produced some early offense, plating a pair of runs in both the first and second inning. AIC (0-1) had opportunities late in the contest against the ESU bullpen but would be unable to record a big inning.
 
Rishel would combine with junior Carson Freeman and sophomore Brock Kauffman to produce eight hits for ESU in the 2-4 spots in the lineup. Freeman finished with a pair of runs batted in to go along with his third triple of the season, while Kauffman notched a pair of hits and two runs scored. Junior Joey Paolini went 3-for-5 at the plate with two runs scored and one RBI for the Warriors.
 
The Yellow Jackets were paced by a 3-for-4 effort from Andrew Ciacciarelli, who ended Fiala's no-hit bid with a leadoff single in the top of the fifth inning. Matt Costanza and Cam Defeo each recorded a hit for AIC, while Costanza produced the lone RBI for the Yellow Jackets. Josh Aviles worked a pair of walks from the leadoff position and scored off Costanza's single sixth inning.
 
Fiala worked around a leadoff walk in the top of the first inning, recording back-to-back strikeouts to strand Aviles on-base. The Warriors gave Fiala a lead to work with by scoring a pair of runs in the home portion of the inning. Sophomore Brainy Rojas scored to make it 1-0 as Kauffman reached first on a throwing error by the Yellow Jackets, who tried to turn a double-play.
 
Junior CJ Lopez doubled the ESU advantage to 2-0 after working a four-pitch walk with the bases loaded. AIC starter Joe Kemlage avoided further damage in the frame by recording a strikeout to leave the bases-loaded.
 
Freeman and Kauffman added to the Warriors' lead in the bottom of the second as Paolini scored on Freeman's third triple of the season to make it 3-0, while Kauffman plated Freeman with a double to right field. The score would hold until Freeman singled through the right side in the bottom of the fifth inning to make it 5-0. AIC would turn to the bullpen as Jordan Hiscoe entered with two outs and two runners on base. Hiscoe got Kauffman to hit a fly-ball to right field to end the frame and strand both runners.
 
AIC got things going offensively in the top of the fifth inning as Aviles worked a one-out walk against Fiala. Aviles would eventually make it to third after stealing second coupled with a throwing error by ESU. Costanza plated the Yellow Jacket's first run of the contest with a single up the middle. The run would unearned against Fiala, who got a pop-up and groundout to first to end the inning.
 
The Yellow Jackets left the bases-loaded against the Warriors in the top of the seventh and two more runners in the eighth against the ESU bullpen. Freshman Justin Guidos tallied consecutive strikeouts in the seventh and a fly-ball to right in the eighth to preserve the Warriors' 5-1 lead.
 
Redshirt senior Mike Sulcoski's run-scoring triple highlighted a four-run bottom of the eighth for the Warriors, who stretched the lead to 9-1. ESU tallied five hits in the frame with Rishel, Lopez, and Paolini also plating runs. Guidos closed the door on the Yellow Jackets in the top of the ninth by striking out the side to record his first collegiate save.
 
Fiala (2-0) walked just two batters in his six innings of work for the Warriors, while Guidos notched seven strikeouts through three innings of relief. Kemlage (0-1) recorded six strikeouts and issued four walks in 4.2 innings of work. He allowed five runs (four earned) before turning things over to the bullpen. Hiscoe worked three innings before exiting in the eighth due to an injury.
 
The Warriors host AIC for a pair of seven-inning contests on Friday at Creekview Park beginning at 12 p.m. ESU then hits the road March 8-10 for four games in Cary, N.C. at the USA Baseball Complex.