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Box Score 2
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Sophomore right-hander Daniel Johnson (Whitehouse Station, N.J./Immaculata) fired five shutout innings in his first career start in the nightcap and The University of Scranton baseball team (2-4, 2-4 Landmark) salvaged a split of a doubleheader with the Moravian Greyhounds (4-2, 4-2 Landmark) on Saturday afternoon at Gillespie Field in Bethlehem.
Behind Johnson's effort, the Royals took game two by a score of 4-0 after Moravian recorded an 8-3 victory in game one.
Game One
A six-run fifth inning for the Greyhounds proved costly as the hosts took the lead en route to the 8-3 win in game one.
Ian Csencsits delivered an RBI double in the inning for Moravian and four players came through with RBI singles in the frame to open up a 6-3 lead for the Greyhounds after five.
Sophomore righty Hunter Ralston (Duryea, Pa./Pittston Area) was deal the loss for the Royals after allowing five runs on eight hits to go along with one strikeout in 4 1/3 IP. Eddie Olsen gave up three runs on seven hits in five innings of work and recorded the win for Moravian.
The Royals jumped out to an early 1-0 lead with a run in the top of the second as senior Kevin Johnson (Whitehouse Station, N.J./Hunterdon Central) reached on a bunt single, advanced to second on a hit by pitch, took third on a walk and scored on senior Anthony Lambroia's (East Northport, N.Y./Commack) RBI single. Scranton tacked on two more runs in the third as junior Jake Lisicky (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall) plated senior Connor Harding (Vestal, N.Y./Vestal) with an RBI single and a balk by Olsen later in the inning brought home a run.
Lambroia delivered a career-high three hits in the game, while Lisicky, Harding and Tramonte recorded two hits apiece. Freshman right-hander Joe Lisicky (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall) struck out one over two scoreless innings of relief for Scranton.
Game Two
Johnson allowed just three hits to go along with a walk and two strikeouts in his five innings of work as the Royals registered the shutout victory in game two.
The shutout win for Scranton was the first for the program since a 5-0 win over Maritime (N.Y.) on March 10, 2018.
Johnson, senior righty Matt Morrow (Bethlehem, Pa./Bethlehem Catholic) and junior left-hander Ryan Heiser (New Milford, N.J./Saint Joseph Regional) combined on the shutout for the Royals as the latter two each tossed a scoreless inning in relief to preserve the win.
The Royals struck for three runs in the top of the fourth as Harding led off with a double and later scored on sophomore Anthony Tramonte's (Mineola, N.Y./Chaminade) RBI single. Four batters later, freshman John Zarnowski (East Brunswick, N.Y./St. Joseph's) came through with an RBI single of his own and junior Tyler Kirsten (Wallenpaupack, Pa./Wallenpaupack Area) followed Zarnowski with one as well.
Rodney Berger surrendered three runs on five hits while walking one and fanning three in 4 1/3 IP and was charged with the loss for Moravian.
In the top half of the sixth, Kevin Johnson singled, stole second and scored on Zarnowski's second RBI single of the day to give Scranton a 4-0 lead.
Harding and Zarnowski each had two hits apiece in the nightcap to lead the way offensively for head coach Mike Bartoletti's squad.
The two teams will wrap up the series with a doubleheader at Volpe Field in Scranton on Tuesday afternoon. Both games will be seven inning contests and first pitch of game one is slated for 4:30 p.m.
--ROYALS--
