MADISON, N.J. – The University of Scranton baseball team (15-3-1, 5-2 Landmark) scored double digit runs in both games and rolled to a doubleheader sweep of the Drew Rangers (3-19, 1-7 Landmark) on Saturday afternoon at Doc Young Field in Madison.
The Royals took game one by a score of 10-5 and captured an 11-2 victory in the nightcap.
Scranton has now won six straight overall.
Game One
The Royals scored five runs in the first and cruised to the 10-5 victory in game one of Saturday's twinbill.
Three consecutive walks loaded the bases and sophomore John Zarnowski (East Brunswick, N.J./St. Joseph's) provided the big blow in the five run first with a two-run double.
Kenny Yonker was charged with all five runs in the first and walked four while recording just one out to to take the loss for the Rangers.
On the mound for Scranton, junior right-hander Hunter Ralston (Duryea, Pa./Pittston Area) turned in an impressive performance as he gave up two runs on seven hits to go along with a walk and four strikeouts in a career-best eight innings of work.
Ralston's 8.0 IP surpasses his previous career-high of 7.0 that he had set in a win over Albright on Mar. 7, 2020.
Drew cut the lead to 5-2 with runs in the third and fourth innings, a score that would hold until the Royals broke the game open in the late stages.
Zarnowski came through once again with a two-run single in the seventh and senior Tyler Kirsten (Wallenpaupack, Pa./Wallenpaupack Area) added an RBI single of his own to stretch the lead to 8-2. An inning later, Kirsten added another RBI with a fielder's choice to preserve the 10-5 win.
Sophomore Corey Zientek (Sugarloaf, Pa./Hazleton Area) who was 2-4 with a pair of runs scored and junior Nick Reposa (Factoryville, Pa./Tunkhannock) who added two hits and a run scored joined Zarnowski (2-4, 2B, 4 RBI) in recording multi-hit games. Zarnowski's four RBI matches his career-high that he had previously set in a win over Drew on Apr. 5, 2021.
Game Two
Junior right-hander Daniel Johnson (Whitehouse Station, N.J./Immaculata) allowed just one earned run in seven strong innings and the Royals led from the second inning on in the 11-2 victory in game two.
Johnson surrendered two runs (one earned) on eight hits while fanning a season-high eight batters in his 7.0 IP.
Scranton got on the board with a four-run second inning as a single and a pair of walks loaded the bases with one away before junior Braden Breithaupt (Canadensis, Pa./Stroudsburg) delivered an RBI single and Reposa cleared the bases with a three-run double. Kirsten scored on a passed ball in the third inning to stretch the lead to 5-0.
The Rangers got two back in the fourth, but the Royals immediately responded with a sacrifice fly from Kirsten in the top of the fifth for a 6-2 advantage.
Tim Jinks was dealt the loss for Drew as he was charged with the six runs (five earned) on four hits to go along with six walks and a strikeout over 5 2/3 IP.
For the second straight game, the Royals broke things open in the late inning as graduate student Kevin Johnson (Whitehouse Station, N.J./Hunterdon Central) delivered an RBI single in a three-run seventh and sophomore Matthew Querey (Wilmington, Del./Salesianum) added a two-run single in the eighth for the 11-2 victory.
Eight different players recorded a hit in the game two win, while senior left-hander James Gadue (West Hartford, Conn./Hall) struck out a pair over two scoreless innings in relief of Johnson.
The Royals and Rangers will close out the series tomorrow afternoon with first pitch of the finale slated for 12 p.m.
--ROYALS--