CRANBERRY TWP— Following its Game 3 loss to Cranberry Township Monday night, Captains' player-manager Brandon Rossier said his team needed to “bring more intensity” to Wednesday's Game 4, down 2-1 in the five-game-series.

Rossier's team did just that as the Captains defeated Cranberry Township 4-3 Wednesday to force a deciding game in the semifinals of the Eagle County baseball playoffs at North Boundary Park.

Game 5 will take place Thursday — again at North Boundary Park — starting at 6 p.m.

“How about that intensity,” Rossier said with a smile. “Cory (Pullen) just pitched lights out today. He was all around the plate when he was missing, but he took control. After they tied it up, he just kept going and took care of business.”

Pullen pitched a complete game, striking out eight.

Joe Nagel took the loss on the mound for Cranberry, fanning four and walking none in seven innings.

“Kid pitched a great game, kept us in it the whole time,” Cranberry manager/player Bill Clinefelter said of Nagel. “Couldn't ask for anything more — he battles and he did it again.”

The Captains drew first blood in the top of the fourth as a Cranberry error scored Frank Cinicola — who kicked off the inning with a double — to take a 1-0 lead.

In the fifth, the Captains were able to add two more runs to their lead off another error.

Cranberry scored three runs to tie the game at 3 in the bottom of the sixth, but left two go-ahead runs on base heading into the seventh.

“Obviously, later in the game, it becomes a momentum thing,” Clinefelter said. “They had it and the fact that we chipped back in and then the wheels kind of fell off, but that's baseball.”

The Captains were able to score the go-ahead run in the seventh and held off Cranberry in the bottom half of the inning to take home the one-run victory.

“To shout out one guy, Austin Young has been fantastic all playoffs,” Rossier said. “I couldn't be prouder of him and if he keeps this going and our guys continue to step up at the right times, I can see us winning this.”

Young went 2-for-4 on the evening with two singles and an RBI in the fifth that jump-started that inning.

Dave Coradi lead the way for Cranberry at the plate with two doubles, while Ben Murray and others added singles.

The winner of Thursday's Game 5 will face Mars in the championship round with a time, date and location to be determined.

“I mean Game 5, winner moves on,” Clinefelter said of Thursday's game. “We've just got to bring our 'A' game and do what we've got to do to win a game on Thursday and move onto the next round.”

Mars swept the Sliders 3-0 in its semifinal round matchup.

Captains 000 120 1 — 4 7 2

Cranberry 000 003 0 — 3 7 3

W: Cory Pullen 7IP (8K, 3BB). L: Joe Nagel 7IP (4K, 0BB).

Captains: Austin Young 2-1B, Frank Cinicola 1B-2B, Hunter Alexander 1B

Cranberry: Nash Matson 1B, Ben Murray 1B, Dave Coradi 2-2B

Thursday: Cranberry at Captains starting at 6 p.m. at North Boundary Park