COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – The University of Scranton baseball team (20-11) put forth a valiant effort, but fell short in an 11-4 loss to the defending national champion Chapman Panthers (14-5) in NCAA Regional action on Saturday afternoon at Haugen Field in Collegeville.

Scranton sees their historic season come to an end, while Chapman remains alive in the Collegeville regional.

The historic season for the Royals featured the program's first Landmark Conference title and NCAA Tournament appearance to go along with 20 victories including four walk-off wins. This marked the seventh 20-win season in program history with all of them having come since 2008.

Chapman held a 6-4 lead in the seventh inning and was able to break the game open late with five runs in the eighth.

The Panthers struck first with a run in the second, but the Royals quickly answered in the top of the third as freshman Matthew Querey (Wilmington, Del./Salesianum) led off with a single, advanced to third on a throwing error and scored on an RBI single from junior Tyler Kirsten (Wallenpaupack, Pa./Wallenpaupack Area). Chapman added a run in the third and three more in the fourth to take a 5-1 lead, but Scranton battled back with a two-run blast from sophomore Justin Pinckert (Somerville, N.J./Immaculata) to cut the lead to 5-3.

Chapman plated a solo run in the sixth to extend the lead to 6-3 and in the top of the seventh, freshman Corey Zientek (Sugarloaf, Pa./Hazleton Area) led off for the Royals with a double and scored on senior Connor Harding's (Vestal, N.Y./Vestal) RBI single. Later in the inning, Harding was at third base with one out but was gunned down at the plate on a double play to end the frame with Chapman leading 6-4.

Junior right-hander Josh Lydon (Shavertown, Pa./Dallas) got the start for Scranton and was dealt the loss after allowing five runs on five hits with three walks and two strikeouts in 3 2/3 IP. Riley Glenn got the win for the Panthers after giving up four runs on eight hits and fanning 10 in six innings of work, while Wyatt Thompson tossed three scoreless innings of relief to earn the save.

Harding was 3-4 on the day with an RBI, run scored and four stolen bases, while Zientek put together a 2-5 day with the double and run scored.

This marked the final game in a Royals uniform for the senior class of Harding, Alex DeRosa (Hillsdale, N.J./Pascack Valley), Anthony Lambroia (East Northport, N.Y./Commack), Matt Morrow (Bethlehem, Pa./Bethlehem Catholic) and Matthew Pinto (Massapequa Park, N.Y./Massapequa).

--ROYALS--