HUNTINGDON, Pa. – The University of Scranton baseball team (26-9-1, 12-4 Landmark) broke open a 5-3 game with 12 runs in the sixth inning en route to an 18-5 victory over the Juniata Eagles (13-21, 5-12) in Sunday's series finale at Langdon-Goodale Field in Huntingdon.

Juniata trailed 5-3 and had the bases loaded with one out in the bottom of the fifth, but senior lefty Ryan Heiser (New Milford, N.J./Saint Joseph Regional) got back to back strikeouts of John Karcher and Joey Allegrini to end the inning and notch his first win of the season.  

With the win on Sunday, the Royals have matched the program's single-season wins record of 26 that was set during the 2008 season.

Scranton currently sits second in the Landmark Conference standings with two conference games remaining. The top four teams in the conference will qualify for the Landmark Tournament that will be held May 13-15 at Volpe Field.

In the afore-mentioned 12-run sixth, the Royals sent 17 batters to the plate and seven different players drove in runs including a two-run triple from graduate student Connor Harding (Vestal, N.Y./Vestal) that made it 8-3 at the time. From there, senior Jake Lisicky (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall), junior Anthony Tramonte (Mineola, N.Y./Chaminade) and graduate student Kevin Johnson (Whitehouse Station, N.J./Hunterdon Central) all delivered RBI singles in the inning as Johnson's run-scoring single capped things off with a 17-3 lead.

Chase Alessandroni surrendered nine runs on nine hits to go along with four walks and a strikeout in five plus innings of work and was dealt the loss for the Eagles.

Sophomore southpaw Matthew Moreira (Union, N.J./Saint Peter's Prep) got the start for the Royals and received a no-decision after giving up three runs on six hits while walking two and fanning five in four innings.

A pair of one-out singles put two runners on for Scranton in the top of the first and a throwing error allowed the first run to score before senior Tyler Kirsten (Wallenpaupack, Pa./Wallenpaupack Area) knocked in a run with a sac fly for an early 2-0 edge. After Juniata cut the lead in half in the bottom of the inning, the Royals tacked on two more runs in the top of the fourth as senior Dan Crossan (Media, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) chipped in with an RBI groundout and junior Braden Breithaupt (Canadensis, Pa./Stroudsburg) reached on a fielder's choice to bring home a run.

Following two Juniata runs in the home half of the fourth, Lisicky hit a solo shot to left field for his first home run of the season and a 5-3 advantage.

Lisicky led a 17-hit attack offensively with a career-high four hits, while Harding (2-4, 3B, 2 RBI, 2 R) and Johnson (3-5, 2B, RBI, 2 R) also recorded multi-hit games in the victory.

Along with Heiser in relief, senior righty Luke Hoey (Southampton, N.J./Seneca) and freshman righty Dominic Chieffalo (Norristown, Pa./Malvern Prep) both tossed scoreless innings.

The Royals return home to host Susquehanna in a Landmark Conference matchup on Monday evening at Volpe Field with first pitch slated for 5 p.m.

--ROYALS--