The University of Scranton baseball team won a wacky opening game over Moravian on Saturday, 8-5, at Volpe Field. Things only got stranger from there as the second game was suspended due to rain after one inning with the Royals holding a 9-3 lead.
The suspended game will be picked up at the start of the top of the second on Sunday at noon at Volpe Field. Following the completion of the suspended game, the team's will play Sunday's regularly scheduled nine-inning game.
Game 1 – Scranton 8, Moravian 5
The Royals (15-16, 7-6 Landmark) took advantage of seven errors by the Greyhounds (18-17, 9-7 Landmark) to score four unearned runs in the game. Scranton built a 5-1 lead after three innings, but Moravian rallied with four runs in the fourth, including a three-run homer.
Scranton pulled back ahead in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single by senior third baseman Patrick Mergel (Bethlehem, Pa./Bethlehem Catholic). The Royals added two insurance runs in the sixth on an RBI single by sophomore pinch hitter Kevin Haag (Ossining, N.Y./Ossining/Bridgton Academy) and an error in left field on Mergel's single allowed sophomore pinch runner Travis Adams (Clarks, N.J./St. Joseph's-Metuchen) to score.
Senior lefty Brian Markowski (Mountain Top, Pa./Crestwood) went the distance on the hill for his fourth win, retiring nine of the final 10 batters he faced. He allowed five runs, two earned, on eight hits while fanning five in seven innings.
Freshman left fielder Connor Harding (Vestal, N.Y./Vestal Central) singled, doubled, walked twice and scored three times. Mergel had two hits and two RBIs, and senior second baseman Brad Schneider (Ambler, Pa./LaSalle College H.S.) had two hits, including the 100th of his career, along with a run and an RBI. Junior designated hitter Ian McIntosh (Newtown, Pa./LaSalle College H.S.) also singled, doubled and scored a run.
Game 2 – Scranton 9, Moravian 3 – top 2nd
The Greyhounds struck quickly with a three-run home run in the top of the first, but Scranton responded with nine runs in the bottom half. Senior shortstop Justin Howell (Millington, N.J./Watchung Hills) and Harding both had two-run singles, and the uprising was aided by two Moravian errors, two walks and a hit batsmen.
Immediately following the completion of the bottom of the first, the teams were pulled off the field due to lightning in the area. After a delay of approximately 90 minutes and with steady rain still falling and expected for at least another hour, the game was suspended.
Live stats and video of Sunday's action will be available at http://athletics.scranton.edu/sports/bsb/2017-18/schedule. Sunday's Senior Day ceremony is scheduled to begin at approximately 11:30 a.m.
--ROYALS--