Game 1 Box Score / Game 2 Box Score
The University of Scranton and Elizabethtown both won a game on Saturday as the two teams split an important Landmark Conference baseball doubleheader on Saturday at Volpe Field. The Royals (13-18, 7-8 Landmark) won the opening game 8-2 before the Blue Jays (12-23, 5-8 Landmark) took the nightcap, 12-3.
In between games of Saturday's twin bill, the Royals honored their five seniors: Bryan Carmon (Flemington, N.J./Hunterdon Central), Christian Huckfeldt (Ambler, Pa./Upper Dublin), Matt McDonald (Clarks Summit, Pa./Abington Heights), Ian McIntosh (Newtown, Pa./LaSalle College H.S.), and Pat Rohr (Audubon, Pa./Devon Prep)
Game 1
Scranton took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first of Saturday's first game, taking advantage of five walks by Elizabethtown's starter with junior Brandon Peters (Peckville, Pa./Valley View) and sophomore Matthew Pinto (Massapequa Park, N.Y./Massapequa) working bases-loaded walks.
The Royals opened up a 6-0 advantage by plating four runs on four hits and one error by the Blue Jays. Junior Kevin Haag (Ossining, N.Y./Ossining/Bridgton Academy (Maine)) came home on an error before Peters connected on an RBI single. Sophomore Anthony Lambroia (East Northport, N.Y./Commack) then made it a six-run ballgame by connecting on a two-run double to the left field fence.
An RBI groundout by Haag in the home fifth pushed Scranton's lead to 8-0 before Elizabethtown got on the board in the top of the sixth with a two-run home run that cut the Royals' advantage to 8-2.
That would mark the end of the scoring though as junior Bobby Hegarty (Wantagh, N.Y/Wantagh) finished off the complete game win on the mound by retiring six of the final seven batters he faced. Hegarty yielded just one earned run in the win and worked around nine singles and the home run for his second victory of the season.
McIntosh and Peters had two hits apiece for Scranton in the game one victory with Peters and Lambroia driving in two runs each.
Game 2
Elizabethtown scored twice in the first inning of Saturday's nightcap and added a run in the top of the third to hold a 3-0 advantage before sophomore Connor Harding (Vestal, N.Y./Vestal) delivered a two-out, two-run single to center in the bottom of the third cut Scranton's deficit to 3-2.
The Blue Jays countered with a run in the top of the fourth before plating a pair of unearned runs in the visitor's sixth to open up a 6-2 advantage.
Elizabethtown broke the game open by scoring four runs on four hits in the top of the seventh to push its lead to 10-2.
Haag drove in Harding with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth for Scranton's third run before the Blue Jays closed out the scoring with a pair of runs in the top of the ninth.
Harding went 3-for-4 at the plate and tied Scranton's record for triples in a season with a one-out triple in the bottom of the eighth, his seventh of the year. Harding, who also had an RBI and scored a run in the game two loss, matched John Rushefski's triples mark that was set in 1993.
Pinto collected a pair of hits in the loss for the Royals, who were outhit 19-7 in the contest.
Carmon was charged with the loss after yielding six runs – four earned – in five innings on the mound while striking out one batter. McDonald pitched a scoreless inning with one strikeout, Rohr went two innings with four runs against, and freshman John Boscarino (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Valley) was charged with a pair of runs against in the ninth inning.
Up Next
Scranton and Elizabethtown will close out their season series on Sunday with a single game starting at 3:30 p.m. at Volpe Field. The start time for Sunday's series finale was originally set for 12 p.m., but has been pushed back due to the forecast for rain in the morning and early afternoon.
--ROYALS--