ABERDEEN, Md. – The University of Scranton baseball team (1-1) split a pair of contests with Lycoming (1-4) and Swarthmore (2-0) to open the 2023 season on Sunday at The Ripken Experience in Aberdeen.

Scranton notched a 14-3 victory over Lycoming to open the day before dropping a 10-9 heartbreaker to Swarthmore.

Scranton 14, Lycoming 3

The Royals got on the board with a three-run third inning and never looked back en route to a 14-3 win over the Warriors on Sunday.

In the afore-mentioned three-run third, graduate student Jake Lisicky (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall) knocked in a run with an RBI single and junior Pat Coyne (Randolph, N.J./Morristown-Beard) followed three batters later with a two-run single for a 3-1 lead at the time. Coyne struck again with an RBI single in the fifth inning and junior John Zarnowski (East Brunswick, N.J./St. Joseph's) plated a run via a sac fly in the sixth for a 6-3 lead at the time.

Senior right-hander Hunter Ralston (Duryea, Pa./Pittston Area) got the start on the bump for the Royals and allowed two runs on nine hits to go along with a walk and four strikeouts in 4 2/3 IP. Sophomore righty Dominic Chieffalo (Norristown, Pa./Malvern Prep) followed Ralston in relief and earned the win with 3 1/3 IP of one-run ball as he surrendered just one hit and added a strikeout.

Scranton broke open a 6-3 game with six runs in the seventh as senior Braden Breithaupt (Canadensis, Pa./Stroudsburg) delivered the big blow in the inning with a two-run double. Junior Jack Heineman (Abington, Pa./LaSalle College) also notched an RBI double in the inning and Lisicky came through with an RBI single.

Freshman Conor Campbell (Wilmington, Del./Salesianum) delivered an RBI triple in the home half of the eighth and later scored on a wild pitch for the Royals' 14^th run of the day.

Noah Miller was dealt the loss for Lycoming after giving up three runs on two hits while walking two and fanning two in 2 2/3 IP.

Campbell (3-6, 2B, 3B, RBI, 3 R, 2 SB), Coyne (2-4, 3 RBI), Heineman (2-5, 2B, RBI, 2 R) and Lisicky (2-4, 2 RBI, 2 R) all posted multi-hit games for Scranton. Freshman right-hander Jackson Bullaro (Syosset, N.Y./Syosset) also fired a scoreless inning of relief in his collegiate debut.

Swarthmore 10, Scranton 9

Swarthmore took the lead for good with a six-run seventh inning and despite a valiant comeback effort by the Royals, the Garnet prevailed with a 10-9 victory on Sunday.

Scranton scored three runs apiece in the seventh and eighth innings, but came up just short.

The Garnet took advantage of seven walks in the afore-mentioned seventh inning and Nate Jbara broke a 6-all tie with an RBI single.

In the top of the eighth, the Royals nearly erased a four-run deficit as Lisicky knocked in a run with an RBI single, Breithaupt was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and sophomore Jake Elston (New Milford, Conn./Canterbury School) drew a bases-loaded walk that made it a 10-9 game.

Steven Jungers allowed three runs in his lone inning of work, but recorded the win for Swarthmore. For the Royals, senior lefty Jason Carpenter (Scranton, Pa./Scranton) took the loss as he walked four and struck out three over two plus innings of relief.

Scranton struck first with a run in the first inning as Lisicky had an RBI single and knocked in another with a run-scoring single in the third.

The Garnet led 4-3 after four innings before the Royals grabbed the lead back with three runs in the top of the seventh as Lisicky knocked in a run with a single and Breithaupt drove home a pair for a 6-4 lead for the time being.

Senior right-hander Daniel Johnson (Whitehouse Station, N.J./Immaculata) surrendered four runs on six hits and fanned one over four innings of work in his first start of the season for Scranton.

Lisicky matched his career-high with four hits on the day, which he had previously done in a win at Juniata on May 1, 2022.

Graduate student southpaw Ryan Heiser (New Milford, N.J./Saint Joseph Regional) fanned one in a scoreless inning of relief.

The Royals will host King's in the program's 2023 home opener on Wednesday afternoon at Volpe Field with first pitch slated for 4:30 p.m.

--ROYALS--