BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Freshman righty Bobby Hegarty (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh) tossed his first career shutout in the opener to lead The University of Scranton baseball team to a split in a Landmark Conference doubleheader at Moravian on Saturday.
Hegarty's gem led the Royals to a 4-0 victory in game one. The Royals' pitching was nearly as good in game two, but they lost a close one, 2-1, in eight innings. Scranton (14-19, 2-12 Landmark) knotted the score in the fifth, but Moravian (15-19, 9-7 Landmark) scored in the bottom of the eighth to win it.
Game 1 – Scranton 4, Moravian 0 – box score
Hegarty dazzled for the third straight outing, holding the Greyhounds off the board while allowing just four hits without a walk while striking out two. It was his second win of the season, and he has now allowed just one run in his last three outings spanning 19 2/3 innings.
The Royals scored twice in the second inning to take the lead, then added single insurance runs in the fifth and sixth to back Hegarty. Junior center fielder Tommy Trotter (Cranford, N.J./Cranford) delivered an RBI sac fly and the Royals added a run in the second on an error. Sophomore first baseman Ian McIntosh (Newtown, Pa./LaSalle College H.S.) had an RBI single in the fifth and junior catcher Kevin Nolan (Ossining, N.Y./Fordham Prep) had an RBI sac bunt in the sixth.
Trotter finished the opener with two hits, an RBI, a run and a stolen base. Junior third baseman Patrick Mergel (Bethlehem, Pa./Bethlehem Catholic) singled, doubled and scored a run, and junior right fielder Sean Haveron (Old Tappan, N.J./Northern Valley Regional) singled and scored a run.
Game 2 – Moravian 2, Scranton 1, 8 innings – box score
Freshman lefty Kyle Bravin (Washington Township, N.J./Westwood) delivered seven strong innings for the Royals, but settled for a no-decision. He allowed one run on seven hits and no walks while striking out three.
Moravian took the lead with a run in the bottom of the second, and it stayed that way until Scranton tied the score with a run in the top of the fifth. Senior second baseman Patrick O'Dell (Harleysville, Pa./St. Joseph's Prep) had an RBI single that scored Trotter, who had reached on an error and stole second.
The Royals got the go-ahead run on base to start both the sixth and seventh innings, but couldn't caplitalize. The Greyhounds made them pay by scoring in the eighth to win it.
McIntosh finished the second game with three hits and senior left fielder Anthony Simone (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Valley Senior) singled and doubled.
The teams will complete the series with the single game on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Moravian.
--ROYALS--