SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University baseball team lost to No. 24 East Stroudsburg University, 16-10, in an elimination game Wednesday on day one of the 2024 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Tournament at Jack Critchfield Park.
 
The loss drops The Rock's record to 28-18 overall while the nationally ranked Warriors improve to 39-10. East Stroudsburg now moves on to the double elimination portion of the PSAC Tournament starting 10 a.m. Thursday against Indiana University (Pa.), which defeated Millersville University in an opening-round game.
 
Wednesday's game was more than likely the last of the 2024 season for The Rock which were eighth in the most recent Atlantic Region rankings. Only seven teams – tournament champions from the PSAC and MEC as well as the next five highest ranked teams in the region qualify for the NCAA Tournament.
 
Gage Gillott started the game on the mound for The Rock. He went 4.1 innings, allowing seven runs on nine hits and two walks. Nate Malak (3-2), who entered the game for Gillott in the fifth, was the pitcher of record for SRU after giving up five runs – only two of which were earned – on four hits and over 1.1 innings.
 
Gino Marra (1 inning, three unearned runs allowed) and Parker Hogge 1.1 innings, one run) finished out the game for SRU.
 
The Rock racked up 10 hits on the day led by a quartet of two-hit efforts from Noah Ross, Joey Purcell, Robby Barrientos and Brandon Butler with Ross also supplying SRU with four RBI. Barrientos drove in a pair of runs as well.
 
Eddie Morris and Cam Panyko Morris rounded out The Rock's hit efforts with one apiece. Braden Olson reached base twice via a pair of walks too.
 
Slippery Rock could have not asked for a better start to Wednesday's game as SRU plated five runs in the first inning. The Rock took advantage of a Warrior fielding error and wild pitch to score early in the inning while Ross and Barrientos capping off the big frame with back-to-back RBI.
 
However, East Stroudsburg also came out hot. Mike Kelly set the tone for its half of the first with leadoff triple that paced a three-run inning to cut SRU's advantage to 5-3.
 
East Stroudsburg opted to bring Nick McAuliffe on for PSAC East Pitcher of the Year Brent Francisco in the second inning. Purcell posted a leadoff double before later scoring on a strikeout that resulted in a wild pitch which allowed Purcell to score.
 
The three-run lead was once again short lived when ESU answered with a run in the bottom of the frame followed by two more in the third to pull even with The Rock at 6-6.
 
The back-and-forth action continued with Slippery Rock scoring once in the fourth only for the Warriors to tie the contest at 7-7 after a run in the fifth that resulted in Gillott being pulled from the game in favor of Malak.
 
The tie game held until the bottom of the sixth when Chaise Albus shot a solo home run over the right field wall to ignite a five-run inning which gave the Warriors a lead they would never relinquish in an eventual six-run victory.  
 
Shanley Wall and Parker Frey had four RBI apiece to lead the Warriors. ESU reliever Gavin Sopko earned the win after pitching four shutout innings.
 
 


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