For the first time in the Landmark Conference's eight-year history, The University of Scranton baseball team will be the top seed in the postseason.
The Royals secured the top spot on Saturday by sweeping a doubleheader against Drew University, 7-5 and 8-4, at Connell Park on Senior Day.
Scranton (20-12, 15-5) will host a best-of-three semifinal series against the no. 4 seed, which has not been determined, on Saturday and Sunday, May 2 and 3, at Connell Park.
The sweep gives the Royals 20 victories for the fourth time in the past five seasons and the fifth time in the past eight. The 15 conference victories are a school record. The Royals have won six straight and 13 of their last 14 overall, and have won 10 straight conference games.
Freshman center fielder Tommy Trotter (Cranford, N.J./Cranford) was the catalyst on Saturday, totaling five hits, three runs and an RBI in the doubleheader, along with a pair of standout defensive plays in the outfield. While Trotter was all over the basepaths, senior first baseman Ross Danzig (Clarks Green, Pa./Abington Heights/Blair Academy, N.J.) was the run producer, finishing the day with six RBIs, three in each game.
Trotter was the sparkplug in the opener, going 3-for-3 with three runs as Scranton rallied from an early 2-1 deficit. After the Royals tied the game in the bottom of the third on an RBI double by junior left fielder Brian Healy (Middletown, N.J./Middletown South), they took control with three in the fourth inning. Senior right fielder Zach Dignam (Bridgewater, N.J./Immaculata) had an RBI sacrifice fly and Danzig delivered an RBI single and later scored on a wild pitch for a 5-2 lead.
The Royals added two important insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth on Danzig's RBI groundout and an RBI single by senior designated hitter Michael Umerich (Clarks Summit, Pa./Abington Heights). They were key runs as the Rangers (13-22, 10-10) scored three times in the top of the seventh, but could not get any closer as senior righty Josh Bayzick (Sugarloaf, Pa./Hazleton Area) came in to get the final two outs for the save.
In the second game, Scranton scored twice in the third to erase an early 1-0 deficit, then took control with four in the fourth and two more in the fifth. Sophomore shortstop Patrick O'Dell (Harleysville, Pa./St. Joseph's Prep) finished with a double, two singles, two runs and an RBI, Umerich had two hits and Danzig's two-out, three-run double in the fourth broke the game open.
Sophomore right-hander Sean McNamara (Scarsdale, N.Y./Iona Prep) picked up the win with four solid innings of relief, allowing two unearned runs on four hits while striking out one. Sophomore lefty David Chromey (Old Forge, Pa./Old Forge) got the final six outs for the save.
Prior to the game, the Royals awarded the Alicia Tamboia Memorial Sportmanship Award to Bayzick. Between games, the 10-player senior class was honored in Senior Day ceremonies. The senior class includes Bayzick, Danzig, Umerich, pitcher Matthew Calamoneri (Hillsborough, N.J./Hillsborough), pitcher Dillon Chorba (Pompton Lakes, N.J./DePaul Catholic), outfielder Nick Papillo (Germantown, Md./St. John's College H.S.), pitcher C.J. Felthaus (Philadelphia, Pa./Father Judge), pitcher Stephen Hart (Mountainside, N.J./St. Peter's Prep), pitcher James Sawyer (Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty) and pitcher Michael Villegas (Hillsborough, N.J./Hillsborough).
Scranton and Drew will complete the three-game series with a single game on Sunday at noon at Connell Park.
--ROYALS--