SCRANTON, Pa. – Junior right-hander Thomas Plunkett (Mamaroneck, N.Y./Mamaroneck) allowed just one run over seven strong innings and The University of Scranton baseball team (20-13) rolled to a 7-2 victory over the Wilkes Colonels (14-23) on Tuesday evening at Volpe Field in Scranton.

Plunkett gave up the one run on two hits to go along with a walk and three strikeouts in his 7.0 IP, which matched his career-high that had been set on Apr. 26, 2021 at Susquehanna. The Mamaroneck, N.Y., native retired the final 14 batters that he faced following a one-out double in the third inning.

Sophomore righty Connor McElroy Barker (Fanwood, N.J./Saint Peter's Prep) was charged with one run on one hit over two innings of relief to close things out for Scranton.

With the victory, Scranton also secured a third consecutive 20-win season.

The Royals immediately got on the board in the home half of the first when freshman Conor Campbell (Wilmington, Del./Salesianum) led off with a double and scored on an RBI single from graduate student Jake Lisicky (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall).

Wilkes tied the game with an RBI double in the top of the third, but Scranton quickly responded with four runs in the bottom half to take a 5-1 lead. Campbell scored on an RBI single by junior Corey Zientek (Sugarloaf, Pa./Hazleton Area), Lisicky plated Zientek with an RBI triple and came home on junior John Zarnowski's (East Brunswick, N.J./St. Joseph's) sac fly. Four batters later, freshman Logan Mason (Flemington, N.J./Hunterdon Central) added an RBI single of his own.

Tegan Shortlidge took the loss for the Colonels after allowing five runs on seven hits while walking three and fanning one in 3.0 IP.

In the bottom of the sixth, Campbell doubled and Zientek was hit by a pitch which set the stage for a two-run double from junior Pat Coyne (Randolph, N.J./Morristown-Beard) that extended the lead to 7-1.

Wilkes had runners at second and third with two outs in the eighth, but Mason made a diving catch in right centerfield to rob Todd Kolbicka of a hit and end the threat.

Campbell (3-4, 2 2B, 3 R) matched his season-high with three hits, while Lisicky (2-3, 3B, 2 RBI, R) and Zientek (2-2, RBI, SB, 2 R) also recorded multi-hit games. Zientek needs five stolen bases and six runs scored to break the respective single-season records in both categories.

The Royals are back in action on Wednesday night at DeSales with first pitch slated for 6 p.m.

--ROYALS--