MILLERSVILLE – Trailing 5-1 after three innings, the East Stroudsburg University baseball team scored the game's next 11 runs to ultimately defeat Gannon, 14-6, in the opening round of the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional on Thursday afternoon at Cooper Park in Millersville.
No. 6 ESU (38-17), who tied the school record for wins in a single-season, advances to face No. 2 Millersville in the winner's bracket tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. The Golden Knights (29-16) will square off vs. No. 7 Charleston in an elimination game at 11 a.m.
"The key to the game today was that every time Gannon scored, we were able to answer back with some runs," said 15th-year head coach
John Kochmansky. "We may not have tied the game at the time, but it kept us in it and gave us the opportunity to eventually take the lead."
Kochmansky added, "
Tommy Ajjan filling in for Tim (Haverstick) did an unbelievable job behind the plate today…so it's that whole thing in baseball, when you get your opportunity you gotta shine and Tommy really did that today."
The Warriors' offense finished the afternoon with 10 hits, which included posting a crooked number in the top of the sixth inning as the Warriors scored eight runs on seven hits to blow the game open.
Redshirt senior
Brock Kauffman went 3-for-4 with his sixth home run of the season, to go with three RBI and two runs scored. Redshirt senior
Brainy Rojas finished 2-for-4 with a home run, four RBI and two runs.
Ben Piripavel,
Jack Rothenhausler and
Jeremy Piatkiewicz each added a hit and at least one RBI.
After a rocky first inning, graduate student
Chase Nowak moved to 9-0 after firing 5.0 innings, allowing five runs (three earned) on seven hits while striking out three. Pitching in relief,
JP Nolan recorded an immaculate inning in the bottom of the eighth, throwing nine pitches and striking out a trio of Golden Knights.
Notables
- Graduate student
CJ Peechatka stretched his team-high on-base streak to 27 games after reaching twice
- Rojas scored the 158th run of his career to remain at fourth all-time in program history and is now six away from the program record, while still ranking second for stolen bases with 77. Rojas reached base for the 323rd time today, putting him five off the school record of 327 set by
Ian Allen.
- Kauffman extended his hitting streak to 14 games and recorded the 221st of career today. The Blue Ball, Pa. native remains at second all-time in school history but is now just four hits shy from eclipsing the school record of 224, set by Jacob DeBoer (2004-07).
- ESU failed to steal a base which kept their season total at 132, ranking second in the PSAC and seventh in all of NCAA Division II
- The Warriors move to 6-8 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, winning the opener for the second time in program history
How it Happened
The Golden Knights jumped on ESU early, using a trio of hits to score three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Gannon plated the first run of the game on a bases loaded walk and Jared Bielanin followed with a two-RBI double to make the score 3-0.
ESU took advantage of a lead off double from Peechatka in the top of the second inning to cut their deficit to 3-1. Peechatka moved up 90 feet on groundout before ultimately coming around to score on sacrifice fly to center field from Rothenhausler.
Gannon stretched their advantage to 5-1 in the bottom of the third, taking advantage of their first two batters reaching and an ESU error to plate a pair. Miguel Vega scored from second on a ball thrown down the left field line and Ryan Kalbfus crossed home on a sacrifice fly.
The Warriors responded in their next at-bats as Kauffman crushed a 3-2 pitch over the center field fence to get ESU back within two at 5-3. Piripavel set the table for the redshirt senior after leading off the top of the fourth with a walk.
In the top of the fifth, ESU pulled within one at 5-4 as
Tommy Ajjan came around to score following a leadoff walk. Ajjan ultimately moved to third on a passed ball before scampering home on an RBI groundout from Rojas.
The Warriors offense exploded in the top of the sixth inning, scoring eight runs on seven hits to take their first lead of the game at 12-5. With runners on first and second, Rothenhausler tied the game at 5-5 on an RBI single to left field. Then with the bases loaded, Ajjan worked a walk and Piatkiewicz brought home a pair on a base hit to make the score 8-5.
Ajjan would ultimately cross home plate on a wild pitch and Rojas doubled down the line to plate Piatkiewicz. Following a Gannon pitching change, ESU poured it on with a pair of RBI singles from Piripavel and Kauffman to make the score 12-5 in favor of ESU.
Gannon got one run back in the bottom of the seventh inning as an RBI base hit from Brandon Wetherholt got the Golden Knights within six at 12-6.
Up Next
The Warriors will battle Millersville tomorrow at 2 p.m. from Cooper Park.
