Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2
FLEMINGTON, N.J. - The University of Scranton baseball team opened their 2017 season in victorious fashion on Saturday, as the Royals swept a doubleheader with Albright at Diamond Nation. Scranton won game one, 5-3, then came back to win the nightcap in 10 innings, 3-2.
Game One - Box Score
In the first game of the afternoon, Scranton got all the run support they needed in the top of the third inning, as a four-run outburst put the Royals up, 4-0.
Albright roared back with three runs of their own in the bottom of the frame, but that was all Albright could muster against the Scranton pitching staff in the opening game of the day.
The Royals added an insurance run in the top of the sixth, which was more than enough for sophomore reliever Matt McDonald (Clarks Summit, Pa./Abington Heights), who came on and tossed three innings of shutout ball in relief of senior starter Sean McNamara (Scarsdale, N.Y./Fordham Preparatory). McDonald retired Albright in order in both the sixth and seventh innings, clinching the win for Scranton in the process.
In game one, senior Patrick O'Dell (Phoenixville, Pa./St. Joseph's Preparatory) led the Royals at the dish, going 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored. O'Dell posted a two-RBI double in the big third inning for the Royals, as well.
Meanwhile, junior Tommy Trotter (Cranford, N.J./Cranford) also had an RBI double in the third, while sophomore Ryan Coonahan (Oreland, Pa./LaSalle College H.S.) added the insurance run with an RBI single in the sixth.
McNamara scattered seven hits over four innings, allowing just three runs and a walk to earn the win. Meanwhile, McDonald struck out two in his performance, retiring all nine batters in a row he saw to sew up the save.
Game Two - Box Score
The second game was a pitchers duel between Albright and Scranton that went into extra innings.
With only nine hits combined by both teams in the game (six for Albright and three for Scranton), O'Dell made his fourth at-bat of the game count in the 10th, as he roped a game-winning RBI single up the middle with the bases loaded and out out that scored freshman pinch runner Tim Gailor (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield) from third to clinch the sweep.
Scranton opened the game with a run in the bottom of the first, as an RBI double by junior Chase Standen (Newtown Square, Pa./St. Joseph's Prep) gave the Royals the early 1-0 lead.
Albright answered with runs of their own in the third and fourth innings, but in the bottom of the fourth, Scranton attacked back. There, a sacrifice fly by sophomore Ian McIntosh (Newtown, Pa. / LaSalle College H.S.) scored senior Anthony Simone (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Valley Senior) from third, tying the game back up at 2-2 (Simone led off the inning with a double).
For the next few innings, both teams could not get a run across that would've given them the lead. As the game wore into three extra frames, Scranton finally ended it in the 10th, loading the bases up with no outs. After a foul out, O'Dell finally delivered the game-winning hit, giving Scranton the win.
Pitching wise for Scranton, the Royals were able to keep Albright off the scoreboard for six full innings after giving up a run in the fourth. Sophomore Pat Rohr (Audubon, Pa./Devon Prep) was able to earn the victory on the mound, as he tossed three innings of shutout baseball, retiring all nine batters he faced, with three strikeouts.
The University of Scranton baseball team returns to action tomorrow, as they take on Widener at the University of Delaware in Newark, Del. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.
--ROYALS--
