AUBURNDALE, Fla. – After a walk-off victory in the first game of a doubleheader against Western Connecticut State on Tuesday afternoon at Lake Myrtle Park, The University of Scranton baseball team topped that excitement by putting together one of its biggest rallies in recent memory to complete the sweep in game two.
Senior pinch hitter Anthony Duchnowski (Dunmore, Pa./Holy Cross) delivered a walk-off RBI single in the opener to lift the Royals to a 12-11 victory. Then, Scranton scored seven runs in the top of the seventh, including five with two outs, to stun the Colonials, 11-9, in the second game.
The victories improve the Royals to 8-7 on the season while Western Connecticut State falls to 3-8.
In the second game, Scranton trailed 9-4 entering the top of the seventh. The Royals had just four hits when they came to the plate in the top half of the inning, but found their offensive rhythm just in time. After two walks and an error loaded the bases with one out, sophomore second baseman Matt Maghini (Madison, Conn./Daniel Hand) delivered a two-run single to cut the deficit to three. After a fly out for the second out, senior catcher Michael Amaturo (Rye, N.Y./Rye) delivered an RBI double to cut the lead to two and put runners on second and third.
Sophomore third baseman Michael Umerich (Clarks Summit, Pa./Abington Heights) then looped a single to right field, scoring Maghini and Amaturo to tie the game. Sophomore Ross Danzig (Clarks Green, Pa./Abington Heights/Blair Academy, N.J.) then delivered the crushing blow, a two-run homer off the scoreboard beyond right field, putting the Royals up, 11-9. It was Danzig's second homer of the season.
Junior righty Chris Rom (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh) pitched a scoreless bottom of the seventh with two strikeouts for his first save of the season. Sophomore righty Michael Villegas (Hillsborough, N.J./Hillsborough) earned the win by working 2 1/3 innings, allowing one unearned run on two hits and two walks while striking out one.
Umerich finished with two singles, a double, three RBIs and a run scored. Maghini singled twice, scored three runs, drove in two and stole a base.
In the opener, the Royals led 6-2 after three innings, but the Colonials rallied in the middle innings to take an 11-8 lead after the top of the fifth. But Scranton scored three to tie it in the bottom half, with the big hit coming off the bat of junior designated hitter Eric Pizzico (Royersford, Pa./Spring Ford), who delivered a two-run single.
After a scoreless sixth inning, the Royals held Western Connecticut State in the top of the seventh, setting up the first heroics of the day. Danzig lead off the inning by reaching second on an error by the shortstop. After senior shortstop Tim LeCompte (Philadelphia, Pa./Roman Catholic) bunted him to third and junior outfielder Michael Gaeta (Cranford, N.J./Cranford) walked, Duchnowski strode to the plate with a chance to win it.
He laced an outside pitch over the right fielder's head for a walk-off RBI single, setting off a wild celebration as the Royals mobbed Duchnowski between first and second. It was the senior's second game-winning hit of the season. He also delivered the go-ahead hit in the top of the ninth inning in Scranton's 13-12 victory at Juniata on March 17.
Gaeta finished the opener with a single, double, triple, three runs and an RBI. Sophomore second baseman Justin Klingman (Clarks Summit, Pa./Abington Heights) singled twice, tripled, drove in four runs and scored a fifth.
Sophomore righty Josh Bayzick (Sugarloaf, Pa./Hazleton Area) earned his second victory of the season by allowing three runs on four hits while striking out two in three innings of relief.
The Royals are back in action on Wednesday when they face Crown (Minn.) in a doubleheader at noon in Winter Haven, Fla.
--ROYALS--