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JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A 4-3 lead entering the bottom of the ninth inning wouldn't be enough for the East Stroudsburg University baseball team on Wednesday against Gannon in the 2019 PSAC Baseball Championship. The Golden Knights rallied for a 5-4 victory against the Warriors to advance in the winner's bracket.
 
ESU (31-18) will face California (Pa.) on Thursday morning at 9:30 a.m. in an elimination game. The Vulcan dropped a 6-5 decision against West Chester in 10 innings to open the tournament. Gannon (32-13) will face the Golden Rams on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. with a trip to the semifinals on the line.
 
Junior Joey Paolini hit a pair of home runs for ESU and finished the contest 2-for-4 with three runs batted in and two runs scored. His two-run home run in the top of the sixth inning knotted the score 3-3, while his solo home run in the top of the eighth inning gave the Warriors a 4-3 advantage. Senior Zarley Cina went 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored, while redshirt senior Mike Sulcoski finished 1-for-4 with an RBI single.
 
Gannon scored each of its first three runs of the contest via solo home runs against ESU junior starter Joe Baran. The Warriors would load the bases with two outs in the top of the third inning but strand all three on base.
 
Leading 1-0 in the bottom of the fourth inning, the Golden Knights hit a pair of solo home runs to increase their advantage to 3-0. ESU scored its first run of the contest in the top of the sixth inning against the Gannon bullpen. Sulcoski plated Cina from third with a single up the middle to trim the deficit to 3-1.
 
With Sulcoski on base, Paolini drove a pitch off the light pole in left-center to knot the score 3-3. The Golden Knights would make another call to the bullpen and get out of the frame without allowing the go-ahead run to score.
 
Paolini put the Warriors ahead 4-3 in the top of the eighth inning as he took a pitch the other way and into the seats beyond the wall in right field. That lead would hold for the Warriors until the bottom of the ninth inning.
Gannon delivered back-to-back doubles with one out in the frame to tie the score 4-4. The Golden Knights would eventually load the bases with two outs before getting a single down the right-field line from Ian Steighner to complete the comeback and secure the 5-4 victory.
 
Baran took the no-decision for the Warriors and allowed three runs off seven hits through four innings of work. Freshman reliever Justin Guidos set the single-season record for ESU with his 23rd appearance out of the bullpen. Guidos tossed a pair of scoreless innings, while junior CJ Gonzales fanned five batters in two innings of relief. Redshirt freshman Chase Nowak (5-3) took the loss for the Warriors after allowing both runs in the ninth inning.
 
Thursday's game between the Warriors and Vulcans will be broadcast and feature live stats. Links for both can be found on the ESU baseball schedule page at www.esuwarriors.com.