Box Score

UNIONDALE, N.Y. – A two-out single from junior Joey Paolini with the bases loaded in the top of the 10th inning would prove to be the eventual game-winner for the East Stroudsburg University baseball team on Wednesday as the Warriors defeated Molloy 4-3 in a non-conference matchup.
 
ESU (15-6) lead 2-0 and 3-2 in the contest before seeing the Lions rally both times to knot the score, including a run in the bottom of the eighth inning. Molloy used a run-scoring double late in the contest to eventually force extra-innings.
 
Sophomore Brock Kauffman was responsible for producing the first run of the contest for ESU following a groundout to second. Kauffman saw his 18-game hitting streak come to an end, which matched the program record dating back to 2003. Junior Carson Freeman finished the game with a pair of doubles and one run batted in, while redshirt senior Christian Rishel went 2-for-4 with a double. Junior CJ Lopez and freshman Logan Stirr also finished with a pair of hits for ESU.
 
Sean Hogan paced the Lions with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate to go along with two RBI, while Jake Saltzman added a 2-for-4 effort. Robby Keane delivered the other run-scoring hit for the Lions in the contest. Six different Molloy batters finished with one hit on the afternoon as the Lions left six runners on base.
 
Leading 1-0 in the top of the third inning, Freeman sent a double down the right-field line that allowed sophomore Brainy Rojas to score and double the Warriors' advantage to 2-0. ESU, who stranded 12 runners on base in the contest, had its chances to try and add to the lead in the middle innings but left two runners on in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings.
 
Molloy trimmed the deficit to 2-1 in the fourth inning off a sacrifice fly to center field against freshman JP Nolan, who made his second start of the season for ESU. The Lions knotted the score at 2-2 in the fifth inning following a single to left field.
 
An error by the Lions in the sixth inning allowed ESU to retake the lead at 3-2 as Rishel scored on the play. Molloy answered in the bottom of the eighth with a double off freshman reliever Mike Yates as the Lions evened the score 3-3.
Lopez started things for the Warriors in the top of the 10th inning with a two-out infield single. Following back-to-back walks that would load the bases, Paolini delivered a single to left field to put the Warriors back on top 4-3. The Lions had a chance of their own to at least even the score in the bottom of the inning with bases loaded and one out. The game would end on an unassisted double-play as a line-drive to Kauffman at shortstop allowed him to record the force-out at second.  
 
Nolan took the no-decision after allowing two runs (one earned) through five innings of work for ESU. Freshman Justin Guidos and junior CJ Gonzales each worked a scoreless inning of relief, while Yates (1-0) earned the win after tossing a pair of innings. Redshirt junior Chris Crookham recorded his first save of the season for the Warriors.
 
The Warriors head to Jefferson on Thursday for a single nine-inning contest against the Rams beginning at 3 p.m. ESU is back home on Saturday for a PSAC East doubleheader against Mansfield beginning at 1 p.m.