Freshman second baseman Anthony Simone (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Valley Senior) had four hits and three relievers combined for 3 2/3 scoreless innings of relief as The University of Scranton baseball team won the series finale against Moravian, 9-3, on Monday at Connell Park.

Simone finished with a triple, three singles, three runs scored and an RBI as the Royals (9-14, 4-10 Landmark) bounced back after dropping both ends of the doubleheader on Saturday. Junior left fielder Michael Umerich (Clarks Summit, Pa./Abington Heights) had three hits, scored twice and drove in a run, and senior designated hitter Eric Pizzico (Royersford, Pa./Spring-Ford) had a double, two singles, drove in a pair and scored once.

Three Scranton relievers combined to hold the lead after freshman lefty Michael Haag (Ossining, N.Y./Ossining/Brighton Academy, Maine) allowed three runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out three in 5 1/3 innings for his first career victory.

Junior Josh Bayzick (Sugarloaf, Pa./Hazleton) tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings, freshman David Chromey (Old Forge, Pa./Old Forge) got the final out of the eighth inning to leave the bases loaded, and junior Michael Villegas (Hillsborough, N.J./Hillsborough) recorded the final three outs. The trio combined to allow four hits and two walks while striking out five.

Moravian (26-7, 14-4 Landmark) struck first with a pair of runs in the first inning on a home run by senior right fielder Matt Hanson (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks West), his second homer of the series.

But Scranton answered with four in the bottom half of the first on an RBI single by senior third baseman Mike Trabulsi (Malverne, N.Y./Chaminade), Pizzico's two-run double, and an RBI single by senior catcher Eddie Ravert (Havertown, Pa./Malvern Prep).

Scranton doubled its lead in the fourth on a two-out, two-run double by junior first baseman Ross Danzig (Clarks Green, Pa./Abington Heights/Blair Academy, N.J.). Moravian got a run back in the sixth to cut Scranton's lead to 6-3, but the Royals took control with two in the bottom of the inning on Simone's RBI triple, and he scored when Umerich followed with an RBI single. Danzig added an RBI ground out in the eighth to complete the scoring.

Scranton is back in action on Tuesday when it travels to Edwardsville, Pa. to take on Wilkes at 4 p.m.

--ROYALS--