Visiting Albright scored a pair of runs in the top of the seventh inning on Saturday afternoon at Volpe Field to defeat The University of Scranton in the season opener for both teams, 3-2. 

The Royals (0-1) received five scoreless innings from junior starting pitcher Bobby Hegarty (Wantagh, N.Y/Wantagh) and twice led by a run before the Lions (1-0) were able to rally for the victory.

Scranton took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth when sophomore Kyler McAllister (Jefferson Township, Pa./Scranton Prep) scored on a perfectly placed bunt by sophomore Kevin Johnson (Whitehouse Station, N.J./Hunterdon Central), but Albright answered with a solo home run in the top of the sixth to level the ballgame at 1-1.

The Royals went back in front in the home sixth when sophomore Anthony Lambroia (East Northport, N.Y./Commack) singled through the left side to bring home senior Ian McIntosh (Newtown, Pa./LaSalle College H.S.).

The Lions again countered in their next trips to the plate, pushing a pair of runs across in the visitor's seventh to take a 3-2 advantage.   Those two runs would mark the end of the scoring as the visitors held on for the win as Scranton stranded a runner on base in each of the last three innings.

Hegarty tossed five strong innings to open the season, allowing just two hits and walking two while picking up one strikeout.

McAllister and Lambroia had two hits apiece to lead the Royals with a second inning double by McAllister accounting for Scranton's only extra base hit in the contest.   

Junior Kyle Bravin (Washington Township, N.J./Westwood Regional) took the loss with three runs against while fanning one batter while senior Bryan Carmon (Flemington, N.J./Hunterdon Central) yielded just one hit while striking out three over the final 2.2 innings for Scranton.

The Royals will return to action on Sunday with a non-conference game against Montclair State starting at 11:30 a.m. at Volpe Field.

--ROYALS--