FT. MYERS, Fla.—Senior Jeff Manahan (Morris Plains, N.J./Morristown) came through when The University of Scranton needed him most Thursday afternoon.

After losing four straight to open a 9-game Spring Break trip, Manahan delivered a pinch-hit single that scored senior Jason Lane (Moosic, Pa./Riverside) with the winning run in the bottom of the seventh to lift the Royals to a 4-3 victory over Western Connecticut in the second game of a 7-inning doubleheader.

In the opener, Scranton managed only three hits of Colonel senior pitcher Billy Armstrong (Moodus, Conn./Hale-Ray), who struck out 13 batters and walked only two in out-dueling Royal junior Rocky Sawyer (Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty), 1-0.  Sawyer was also impressive in defeat, allowing only four hits, striking out eight and walking only three in six innings of work.

The big blow for Western Connecticut turned out to be an RBI triple by sophomore Conor Bierfeldt (Torrington, Conn./Torrington) in the bottom of the sixth inning, which scored sophomore Chris Alberto (Trumbull, Conn./Notre Dame Fairfield) who singled to open the frame.

Senior Chris Stallone (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield) belted a triple—his first of the season—and Lane had a double for the Royals.

Scranton belted out 13 hits in the nightcap, including two each by sophomores Michael Gaeta (Cranford, N.J./Cranford), Tim LeCompte (Philadelphia, Pa./Roman Catholic) and Michael Amaturo (Rye, N.Y./Rye) and senior David Giglio (Wallingford, Conn./Xavier), to support winning pitcher Robert Della Polla (Havertown, Pa./St. Joseph's Preparatory).  Della Polla improved to 2-0 on the season and picked up a complete-game victory by striking out six while allowing only six hits.

The Royals broke a 1-1 tie with RBI singles by Gaeta and Stallone in the bottom of the fourth.  The Colonels tied it up in the sixth on a two-run home run by sophomore Bill Eannotti (Shelton, Conn./Notre Dame Fairfield).

In the seventh, LeCompte hit a one-out double to advance Lane, who reached on a fielder's choice, to third-base, setting up Manahan's game-winning hit off Billy Armstrong, who came in to relieve Conor Bierfeldt after LeCompte's double.  Bierfeldt went 6 1/3 innings and struck out four batters in taking the loss.

The Royals, now 6-6, will take on Plymouth State University (NH) in a doubleheader tomorrow morning beginning at 9:00 a.m.