WASHINGTON, D.C. – The University of Scranton baseball team struggled through a rough 2014 campaign, failing to win a single Landmark Conference series after reaching the championship the previous season. Two weeks into the conference schedule this season, the Royals are already two-for-two.
Scranton swept a doubleheader from Catholic, 3-2 and 5-0, on Sunday afternoon at the Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy to bounce back after dropping the series opener on Saturday night.
Just like they did seven days earlier in a doubleheader sweep against Moravian, the Royals (5-8, 4-2 Landmark) got strong pitching performances from senior right-hander Matt Calamoneri (Hillsborough, N.J./Hillsborough) and sophomore lefty Michael Haag (Ossining, N.Y./Ossining/Brighton Academy). Both threw complete games and combined to give up just six hits and allow Catholic (12-4-1, 5-4 Landmark) to score in just one of 14 innings on the day.
In the opener, Calamoneri allowed the two runs, both in the sixth inning, on four hits and four walks while striking out three. Scranton took a 2-0 lead in the second when sophomore second baseman Anthony Simone (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Valley Senior) delivered a one-out RBI double and sophomore third baseman Kevin Raszka (Scotch Plains, N.J./Scotch Plains-Fanwood) followed with a perfectly executed safety squeeze to deliver the second run.
Catholic answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth to pull even at 2, but the Royals had more offense left. Simone led off with a walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Raszka. Freshman Patrick Mergel (Bethlehem, Pa./Bethlehem Catholic) then delivered a pinch-hit single, moving fellow freshman Chase Standen (Newtown Square, Pa./St. Joseph's Prep), who pinch ran for Simone, to third. Freshman center fielder Tommy Trotter (Cranford, N.J./Cranford) followed with an RBI single to score Standen and put Scranton back on top.
Calamoneri worked around a two-out double in the bottom of the seventh to secure the win, getting the final out on a fly ball to right.
In the second game, Haag was dominant, throwing a two-hit shutout while walking four and striking out two. In 12 2/3 innings in conference play this season, Haag has not allowed a single run while giving up just four hits and five walks while striking out three to go 2-0.
As they did in the opener, the Royals took the lead in the third inning when junior left fielder Brian Healy (Middletown, N.J./Middletown South) walked, stole second and scored on a two-out RBI single by Simone. They pushed the lead to 3-0 in the fourth when sophomore catcher Dan Hansen (Helena, Mont./Helena) led off with a single and scored when sophomore shortstop Patrick O'Dell (Harleysville, Pa./St. Joseph's Prep) launched his first career home run, a two-run shot.
With Haag rolling, Scranton tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh. Senior first baseman Ross Danzig (Clarks Green, Pa./Abington Heights/Blair Academy, N.J.) singled with one out and moved to second when Healy walked. Senior designated hitter Michael Umerich (Clarks Summit, Pa./Abington Heights) delivered them both with a two-run double to complete the scoring.
Umerich, Danzig, Healy and Trotter each finished the day with two hits while Umerich, Simone and O'Dell each had a pair of RBIs.
The Royals are back in action on Monday when they travel to Edwardsville, Pa. to take on Wilkes at 4 p.m.
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