SCRANTON, Pa. – The University of Scranton baseball team (23-9-1) rallied late, but dropped a 5-4 heartbreaker to the DeSales Bulldogs (19-14) in non-conference action on a chilly Wednesday night at Volpe Field in Scranton.

Sophomore Corey Zientek (Sugarloaf, Pa./Hazleton Area) tripled with one out in the eighth and scored on classmate Johnny Flannigan's (Huntington, N.Y./St. Dominic) RBI groundout to bring the Royals within a run at 5-4, but were unable to get any closer.

Scranton opened the scoring in the home half of the second on Wednesday as senior Drew Brodine (Hopewell, N.J./Hopewell Valley) reached on a fielder's choice and scored from first when sophomore Jack Heineman (Abington, Pa./LaSalle College) delivered an RBI double down the right field line.

DeSales took the lead for good with a four-run third inning as a pair of RBI singles brought home two runs to go along with a wild pitch and an error.

Senior right-hander Mason Boettger (Old Forge, Pa./Old Forge) surrendered the four runs (two earned) on four hits and fanned one in an inning of relief, but was dealt the loss for the Royals. The Bulldogs' Matt Gehris gave up a run on three hits to go along with two walks and two strikeouts in 2.0 IP to register the win.

Sophomore righty George Sengos (Washington Twp., N.J./Westwood Regional) tossed a pair of scoreless innings and fanned one in his first career start for Scranton.

Trailing 5-1, freshman Jake Elston (New Milford, Conn./Canterbury School) came through with an RBI single in the fourth inning and drew a bases loaded walk in the fifth to bring the hosts within 5-3.

Scranton left 14 men on base in the setback.

The Royals' bullpen put forth an impressive effort on the day as junior righty Phil Schoch (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) allowed just a run on two hits in three innings of work, while senior righty Luke Hoey (Southampton, N.J./Seneca), freshman righty Kevin Keil (Egg Harbor Township, N.J./Atlantic County Institute of Technology) and senior lefty Ryan Heiser (New Milford, N.J./Saint Joseph Regional) all tossed scoreless innings of relief.

Elston, graduate student Connor Harding (Vestal, N.Y./Vestal) and sophomores Matthew Querey (Wilmington, Del./Salesianum) and John Zarnowski (East Brunswick, N.J./St. Joseph's) all registered two hits apiece for head coach Mike Bartoletti's team.

The University of Scranton baseball team heads to Juniata for a Landmark Conference series this weekend with first pitch of Saturday's doubleheader scheduled for 12 p.m.

--ROYALS--