Box Score
Editor's Note: Corrects Scranton's overall record for the season.
Box Score
CHESTER, Pa. – The University of Scranton snapped a seven-game losing skid with a 10-8 victory at Widener on Wednesday in a non-conference baseball game that was called after eight innings due to darkness.
Sophomore Kevin Johnson (Whitehouse Station, N.J./Hunterdon Central) had a big day at the plate for the Royals (11-15), going 3-for-4 with a home run and a double while driving in four runs and scoring three times. Junior Kevin Haag (Ossining, N.Y./Ossining/Bridgton Academy (Maine)) also homered for Scranton.
Sophomore Alex DeRosa (Hillsdale, N.J./Pascack Valley) notched his second win of the season on the mound while senior Matt McDonald (Clarks Summit, Pa./Abington Heights) picked up his first save of the season to persevere victory.
Scranton scored twice in the first inning before opening up a 4-0 advantage when Johnson connected on his first career home run, a two-run shot to left field, in the top of the second.
The Pride (12-20-1) pulled to within a run in both the third and fourth innings before the Royals opened up a 9-4 advantage with three runs in the fifth followed by a solo home run by Haag in the visitor's sixth. The homer was Haag's first of the season and ninth of his career.
Widener plated three runs in the sixth to make it a 9-7 ballgame before the Royals added an insurance run in the top of the seventh. The Pride scored a run in the home eighth and had the potential tying runs in scoring position before McDonald closed the door to seal the win for Scranton.
DeRosa went five innings to claim the win, striking out four batters while yielding five runs – four earned – on six hits. Junior Sam Flannery (Hop Bottom, Pa./Mountain View) was charged with two runs in two innings while fanning a pair of batters.
After freshman John Boscarino (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Valley) was touched up for a run on two hits and a walk, McDonald came on with two runners on base and nobody out in the bottom of the ninth to retire three straight batters for his fourth career save.
Senior Ian McIntosh (Newtown, Pa./LaSalle College H.S.), freshman Chris Wagner (Westfield, N.J./Westfield), and juniors Matt Fisch (Spring Brook Township, Pa./North Pocono), and Travis Adams (Clark, N.J./St. Joseph's Metuchen) added two hits apiece for the Royals, who had a 13-12 edge in hits for the game.
Scranton visits Moravian on Thursday for a key Landmark Conference tilt starting at 3:30 p.m. in Bethlehem, Pa. The Royals are currently tied for the fourth and final playoff spot with Drew as the two teams trail third place Moravian by one game in the conference standings.
*Note: Thursday's game at Moravian was originally schedule to start at 4 p.m., but first pitch was moved up to 3:30 p.m. to help ensure all nine innings are played in adequate daylight.
--ROYALS--
