The University of Scranton baseball team had 28 hits and 18 runs in Sunday's Landmark Conference doubleheader against Elizabethtown at Connell Park, but was left with nothing to show for it after 14-10 and 9-8 (8 innings) losses to the Blue Jays.

Scranton (8-11, 0-5 Landmark) held an early lead in the first game and a late lead in the second, but Elizabethtown (10-7, 3-1 Landmark) had the final say in both games, which took a combined six hours.

Junior designated hitter Chase Standen (Newtown, Pa./St. Joseph's Prep) finished the day with six hits and five runs scored, and junior center fielder Tommy Trotter (Cranford, N.J./Cranford) had four hits, three of them doubles, scored twice and drove in four to highlight the day for the Royals. 

Game 1

Scranton held a 2-0 lead after two innings on a two-run homer by freshman first baseman Kevin Haag (Ossining, N.Y./Ossining/Bridgton Academy). But Elizabethtown scored 10 runs in the top of the third to take a 10-2 lead.

But Scranton was unfazed, answering with seven runs of its own in the bottom of the third to pull within 10-9. But the Blue Jays added a run in the fifth and three in the top of the seventh for insurance. The Royals tallied in the bottom of the seventh, but the comeback ended with the bases loaded.

Standen finished 3-for-4 with three runs scored, junior second baseman Brad Schneider (Ambler, Pa./La Salle College H.S.) was 3-for-4 with a double, a run and two RBIs, Trotter doubled twice, scored a run and drove in two, and senior left fielder Anthony Simone (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Valley Senior) singled, doubled, scored a run and drove in another.

Game 2

This back-and-forth affair saw the Royals hold 2-0, 4-3 and 8-6 leads, the last going into the top of the seventh. But Elizabethtown scored twice in the seventh to force extra innings, took the lead in the top of the eighth on a solo homer, then escaped a two-on, one-out jam in the bottom half for the sweep.

Standen again went 3-for-4, this time with a double, and scored twice. Senior shortstop Patrick O'Dell (Phoenixville, Pa./St. Joseph's Prep) was 3-for-4 with a double, a run and an RBI, Trotter singled, doubled, scored a run and drove in two, junior third baseman Patrick Mergel (Bethlehem, Pa./Bethlehem Catholic) singled twice, drove in three and scored a run, and senior right fielder Sean Haveron (Old Tappan, N.J./Northern Valley Regional) singled twice and scored a run.

The Royals and Blue Jays will complete the three-game series with the single game Monday at 4 p.m. at Connell Park.

--ROYALS--