SELINSGROVE, Pa. – A four-run third inning followed by a three-run fourth carried Susquehanna to a 10-6 victory over The University of Scranton in a key Landmark Conference game that was played to its completion on Wednesday after being suspended nearly a month ago in Florida.
With the win, the River Hawks improve to 12-11 on the season and 9-3 in conference play while the Royals slip to 10-14 on the year and 6-6 in the Landmark with their sixth-straight loss. Scranton is now tied with Catholic for the fourth and final playoff spot with the Royals holding the head-to-head advantage over the Cardinals.
The game between Scranton and Susquehanna was resumed on Wednesday with the score tied 1-1 with no outs in the bottom of the second inning after the original meeting on March 16 was halted due to rain.
The River Hawks struck first when play continued on Wednesday, using a three-run double and an RBI single to open up a 5-1 lead in the bottom of the third.
The Royals got a pair of runs back in the top of the fourth, but a three-run fourth by Susquehanna pushed the host's lead to 8-3.
Scranton plated a run in the visitor's fifth and two more in the top of the seventh to pull to within 8-6, but the River Hawks closed out the scoring with single runs in both the home seventh and eighth innings.
Senior Ian McIntosh (Newtown, Pa./LaSalle College H.S.), sophomore Kevin Johnson (Whitehouse Station, N.J./Hunterdon Central), and junior Matt Fisch (Spring Brook Township, Pa./North Pocono) had two hits apiece to lead Scranton's offense with McIntosh and sophomore Connor Harding (Vestal, N.Y./Vestal) driving in two runs apiece.
Junior Bobby Hegarty (Wantagh, N.Y/Wantagh) suffered the loss after being charged with four earned runs on five hits and two walks in 2.2 innings.
The Royals used a trio of relievers to finish the game led by senior Bryan Carmon (Flemington, N.J./Hunterdon Central), who yielded just one earned run on five hits and two walks while fanning a pair of batters in 4.1 innings of work.
Susquehanna finished the game with a 13-8 advantage in hits while the visitors committed three errors to just one miscue for the River Hawks.
Scranton will host Elmira in a non-conference doubleheader on Friday starting at 4 p.m. The Royals and Soaring Eagles will play a pair of 7-inning games for the twin bill at Volpe Field.
--ROYALS--