MOOSIC, Pa. – The University of Scranton baseball team clinched a Landmark Conference playoff berth and completed a three-game sweep of Susquehanna in a fitting way on Sunday at PNC Field.
The Royals scored a run in the bottom of the 11th for a 7-6 victory, their second walk-off win of the weekend and third come-from-behind victory in the three game-series. Scranton (17-12, 13-5 Landmark Conference) now has a two-game lead with three games remaining in regular season conference play.
Scranton overcame deficits of 4-0, 5-2 and 6-4 to win for the 10th time in the last 11 games and extend its conference winning streak to eight. The win also sets a school record for regular season conference victories in a season, surpassing the previous mark of 12, set in 2011.
In the decisive bottom of the 11th, senior first baseman Ross Danzig (Clarks Green, Pa./Abington Heights/Blair Academy, N.J.) laced a leadoff single down the right field line. Junior left fielder Brian Healy (Middletown, N.J./Middletown South) followed with a sharp ground ball to third that was gloved on a diving play by the Susquehanna third baseman, but in an attempt to throw out the speedy Healy, the throw sailed wide and bounced into foul territory down the right field line. Danzig raced all the way around to score, setting off a wild celebration as the Royals completed the sweep.
Sophomore Sean McNamara (Scarsdale, N.Y./Fordham Prep) was the hero for the Royals, delivering seven shutout innings of relief to pick up the win. He allowed four hits and a walk while striking out three after entering in the top of the fifth with the Royals trailing.
After giving up four runs in the top of the first, Scranton began its comeback with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third on the first career home run by freshman center fielder Tommy Trotter (Cranford, N.J./Cranford), a two-run shot that landed in the visitors' bullpen.
The Crusaders got one of those runs back in the top of the fourth, but the Royals got two more in the bottom half on an RBI double by senior designated hitter Michael Umerich (Clarks Summit, Pa./Abington Heights) and a two-out, RBI single by Trotter.
Susquehanna kept the pressure on with a run in the fifth after a leadoff walk, pushing its lead to 6-4. The score stayed that way until the bottom of the seventh, when the Royals knotted things up with a pair of runs, both with two outs. Sophomore shortstop Patrick O'Dell (Harleysville, Pa./St. Joseph's Prep), who walked to start the rally, scored on a fielding error, and Healy delivered and RBI single to tie the game.
The Royals put the go-ahead run on base in the eighth, and the winning run in both the ninth and 10th, but did not break through until the 11th.
Healy finished with three hits, an RBI and a run, Trotter had three hits, an RBI and a run, Umerich had two hits and an RBI, and O'Dell singled twice and scored a run. Sophomore catcher Dan Hansen (Helena, Mont./Helena) also played a key role in the victory, throwing out would-be base stealers in both the top of the 10th and top of the 11th.
Scranton will return to action on Wednesday, April 22, when it travels to Mahwah, N.J. to take on Ramapo at 3:30 p.m.
--ROYALS--