SCRANTON, Pa. – The University of Scranton baseball team (22-6-1, 9-3 Landmark) scored 27 runs in two games and rolled to a doubleheader sweep of the Catholic University Cardinals (24-10, 10-4 Landmark) on Saturday afternoon at Volpe Field in Scranton.
The Royals took game one by a score of 13-1 and rallied for a 14-6 win in game two.
Game One
Scranton scored 13 runs over three innings and cruised to the 13-1 win in game one.
Head coach Mike Bartoletti's club plated four runs in the second, six in the third and three more in the fourth to break the game open. Junior Braden Breithaupt (Canadensis, Pa./Stroudsburg) opened the scoring with an RBI single and two batters later, graduate student Connor Harding (Vestal, N.Y./Vestal) delivered a two-run single before a sac fly later in the inning extended the lead to 4-0.
In the afore-mentioned six run third, fellow graduate student Kevin Johnson (Whitehouse Station, N.J./Hunterdon Central) and sophomore Corey Zientek (Sugarloaf, Pa./Hazleton Area) both came through with two-run singles to make it a 10-0 game. Harding added a three-run blast over the right centerfield wall in the fourth inning to complete the scoring for the Royals.
The home run was Harding's fourth of the season.
Junior right-hander Hunter Ralston (Duryea, Pa./Pittston Area) was impressive on the mound as he allowed just a run on eight hits and fanned a career-high seven batters in his seven innings of work to earn the win for Scranton. Senior righty Luke Hoey (Southampton, N.J./Seneca) struck out three over two shutout innings in relief of Ralston.
Nick Marini was charged with three runs on three hits over 1 1/3 IP and took the loss for the Cardinals.
Five different players had multi-hit games in the game one win led by a 3-4 day from Harding with a home run, five RBI, two stolen bases and two runs scored. Breithaupt (2-2, RBI, 2 R), Johnson (2-4, 3B, RBI, 2 R), Zientek (2-3, 3 RBI, R) and senior Dan Crossan (Media, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) who was 2-4 with two runs scored, all added two hits apiece.
Game Two
A five-run fifth inning proved to be the difference in the game as the Royals erased a 6-3 deficit and scored 11 unanswered runs en route to the 14-6 win.
In the decisive fifth inning, Harding delivered an RBI single and senior Tyler Kirsten (Wallenpaupack, Pa./Wallenpaupack Area) drew a bases-loaded walk to draw the Royals within a run at 6-5 before Johnson gave the hosts the lead with a run-scoring single to center that plated two runs. Senior Jake Lisicky (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall) followed Johnson with an RBI single of his own for an 8-6 lead.
Catholic had a leadoff double in the top of the seventh with the score still sitting at 8-6, but sophomore lefty Matthew Moreira (Union, N.J./Saint Peter's Prep) got a pair of strikeouts and Harding robbed Matt Tesoriero with an over the shoulder catch in centerfield to end the inning.
Moreira scattered just two hits and fanned four over a season-high 5 1/3 shutout innings to notch his second win of the season.
Danny Fitzgerald was tagged with the loss for the Cardinals after coming on in relief during the five-run fifth and allowing two runs on four hits to go along with two walks over an inning plus.
Scranton broke the game open with four runs in the seventh as Breithaupt, Crossan, Harding and junior Nick Reposa (Factoryville, Pa./Tunkhannock) all drove in runs in the inning, which extended the lead to 12-6. Juniors George Jenkins (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) and Justin Pinckert (Somerville, N.J./Immaculata) added an RBI triple and RBI double, respectively, for the Royals in the eighth.
The game was a back and forth affair during the early innings as a solo shot from Zientek gave the hosts a 3-2 edge after three innings, but Catholic immediately answered with four runs in the fourth to take the 6-3 lead.
Both starters were dealt no-decisions in the nightcap as Royals' junior right-hander Daniel Johnson (Whitehouse Station, N.J./Immaculata) surrendered the six runs on eight hits while fanning three over 3 2/3 IP and Catholic's Jack Zaffiro gave up six runs on four hits to go along with four walks in 4 1/3 IP.
Crossan led the way offensively with three hits and three runs scored, while Breithaupt (2-3, 2B, RBI, 2 R), Harding (2-3, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R), Jenkins (2-5, 3B, 2 RBI, R) and Zientek (2-4, RBI, 2 R) also tallied multi-hit games.
Harding now has 217 hits in his career, which is two shy of tying the program and Landmark Conference record of 219 that was set by Tommy Trotter (2015-18).
The two teams will wrap up the series on Sunday afternoon at Volpe Field with first pitch slated for 12 p.m.
--ROYALS--