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SCRANTON, Pa. – The University of Scranton baseball team (16-8, 16-8 Landmark) picked up a walk-off win in game one en route to a doubleheader sweep of the Susquehanna River Hawks (7-14, 7-11 Landmark) in the Royals' regular season finale on Tuesday afternoon at Volpe Field.
Scranton won game one by a score of 5-4 following a walk-off single from sophomore Justin Pinckert (Somerville, N.J./Immaculata) and took game two, 5-2.
With the sweep, the Royals have clinched the No. 1 seed in next week's Landmark Conference Tournament. This is the second time in program history that the Royals have been the No. 1 seed in the Landmark Tournament and the first time since 2015.
Game One
Pinckert hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth to score freshman Corey Zientek (Sugarloaf, Pa./Hazleton Area) from second base and the Royals picked up a 5-4 win in game one.
Zientek led off the inning with an infield single and stole second.
This came on the heels of Scranton escaping a bases loaded jam in the top of the ninth as junior southpaw Ryan Heiser (New Milford, N.J./Saint Joseph Regional) came on in relief and fanned Anthony Dombrowski to keep things tied at four.
Heiser picked up the win to even his record at 1-1, while Jake Ramezzana allowed a run on two hits in 1 1/3 IP and was dealt the loss for the River Hawks.
Susquehanna opened the scoring with a solo shot in the top of the third before the Royals answered with three runs in the home half of the inning as juniors Jake Lisicky (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall) and Dan Crossan (Media, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) and senior Kevin Johnson (Whitehouse Station, N.J./Hunterdon Central) all came through with RBI singles.
The River Hawks took a 4-3 lead with solo runs in each of the next three innings, but Scranton once again battled back and Lisicky's two-out RBI single in the seventh tied things at four apiece.
Freshman southpaw Matthew Moreira (Union, N.J./Saint Peter's Prep) made his first career start for the Royals and gave up three runs on five hits while fanning four over 4 2/3 IP in a no-decision. Ryan Monroy gave up three runs on six hits to go along with three walks and three strikeouts in 2 1/3 IP for the River Hawks.
Junior right-hander Hunter Ralston (Duryea, Pa./Pittston Area), freshman lefty Michael Fox (Westfield, N.J./Union Catholic) and freshman right-hander George Sengos (Washington Twp., N.J./Westwood Regional) all turned in scoreless relief outings for Scranton.
Offensively, Crossan, Lisicky, Pinckert and senior Connor Harding (Vestal, N.Y./Vestal) all had multi-hit games. Zientek added a single, run scored and three stolen bases.
Game Two
Freshman right-hander Thomas Plunkett (Mamaroneck, N.Y./Mamaroneck) allowed two runs on six hits to go along with one strikeout in six innings of work and the Royals captured a 5-2 victory in the nightcap.
Plunkett (2-0) turned in his second straight impressive outing against the River Hawks and sophomore righty Daniel Johnson (Whitehouse Station, N.J./Immaculata) struck out the side in a scoreless seventh to pick up his first save.
Susquehanna once again opened the scoring with a run in the top of the third before the Royals put up a three spot in the home half of the frame to take a 3-1 lead. Lisicky knocked in a run with a sac fly in the inning and freshman John Zarnowski (East Brunswick, N.J./St. Joseph's) plated a run via an RBI single. An inning later, junior Tyler Kirsten (Wallenpaupack, Pa./Wallenpaupack Area) came through with an RBI single of his own to extend the lead to 4-1.
Anthony Colucci was tagged with the loss for Susquehanna after surrendering three runs on three hits while walking five and fanning three in three innings.
Zarnowski compiled a season-high three hits and Kirsten was 2-4 with an RBI and a run scored to lead Scranton in the nightcap. The Royals also stole six bases in the game including two apiece from Kirsten and freshman Jack Heineman (Abington, Pa./La Salle College).
Stay tuned to athletics.scranton.edu for more information on the Landmark Conference Tournament as it becomes available.
--ROYALS--
