Box Score SCRANTON, Pa. – Franklin & Marshall rallied for four runs in the ninth and scored the go-ahead run in the 10th as The University of Scranton baseball team (28-10-1) closed out the regular season with a 13-12 setback against the Diplomats (25-14) on Tuesday night at Volpe Field in Scranton.
Scranton had a leadoff runner on in both the 9th and 10th innings, but was unable to push across a run.
Senior right-hander Mason Boettger (Old Forge, Pa./Old Forge) was dealt the tough luck loss for the Royals as he allowed a run on three hits in an inning of work. For the Diplomats, Thomas McLaughlin gave up an unearned run in two innings of work to record the win and Dan Galef struck out the side in the 10th to notch his second save.
After a solo run from Franklin & Marshall opened the scoring in the top of the first, the Royals immediately responded with four in the home half as graduate student Kevin Johnson (Whitehouse Station, N.J./Hunterdon Central) knocked in a run with an RBI double and senior Jake Lisicky (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall) hit a three-run blast over the scoreboard in left field for an early 4-1 lead.
The Royals tacked on two more runs with consecutive RBI singles in the second inning from graduate student Connor Harding (Vestal, N.Y./Vestal) and sophomore Corey Zientek (Sugarloaf, Pa./Hazleton Area), but Franklin & Marshall plated five in the top of the third to even things at six apiece.
Diplomats starter Charlie Wright surrendered six runs (five earned) on six hits and walked one over 1 2/3 IP in a no-decision.
In the home half of the fourth, a trio of walks loaded the bases with one out and a fielder's choice, sac fly and a bases loaded walk issued to junior Braden Breithaupt (Canadensis, Pa./Stroudsburg) made it a 9-6 game in favor of the hosts.
Following a sac fly from Johnson in the bottom of the fifth, the Diplomats plated a pair in the ensuing top of the sixth to draw within two at 10-8. Zientek drew a bases loaded walk in the sixth inning and an error brought home a two-run run in the eighth to extend the Royals' lead to 12-8 for the time being.
However, Franklin & Marshall struck for four in the top of the ninth to send the game to extras as Spencer Berson's two-run single tied things at 12.
Seven different relievers had a scoreless outing for Scranton in relief of junior right-hander Thomas Plunkett (Mamaroneck, N.Y./Mamaroneck) who got the start and allowed a solo home run in an inning of work. Freshman right-handers Kevin Keil (Egg Harbor Township, N.J./Atlantic County Institute of Technology) and Dominic Chieffalo (Norristown, Pa./Malvern Prep) both did not allow a hit in their outings, while senior righty Josh Lydon (Shavertown, Pa./Dallas) followed suit with a hitless eighth inning.
Harding (2-7, RBI, R), Johnson (2-5, 2 2B, 2 RBI, R), Lisicky (2-3, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R) and Zientek (2-4, 3 BB, 4 SB, 3 R) all tallied multi-hit games for head coach Mike Bartoletti's club.
The Royals are the No. 1 seed in this weekend's Landmark Conference Tournament and will host No. 4 seed Susquehanna to open postseason play on Friday afternoon at Volpe Field with first pitch slated for 3:30 p.m.
--ROYALS--
