SCRANTON, Pa. – A six-run fifth inning broke open what was a tie game and The University of Scranton baseball team (2-1) registered a 12-6 victory over the King's College Monarchs (1-1) in the Royals' 2023 home opener on Wednesday afternoon at Volpe Field.

King's had tied the game at four apiece with three runs in the top of the fifth, but Scranton immediately responded with six runs in the home half. Junior Jack Heineman (Abington, Pa./LaSalle College) reached on a bunt single and a throwing error on the play allowed the go-ahead run to score before fellow junior Matthew Querey (Wilmington, Del./Salesianum) ripped a two-run single through the left side and classmate Corey Zientek (Sugarloaf, Pa./Hazleton Area) cleared the bases with a three-run triple.

Brennen Schneider surrendered seven runs (six earned) on six hits in 1 1/3 IP of work for the Monarchs and was dealt the loss.

For Scranton, junior southpaw Matt Roda (Newtown, Pa./Council Rock North) got a pair of strikeouts in the top of the fifth and earned his first win of the season.

The Royals opened the scoring in the home half of the first as graduate student Jake Lisicky (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall) was hit by a pitch, stole second and scored on an RBI single from junior John Zarnowski (East Brunswick, N.J./St. Joseph's). The hosts tacked on two more runs in the second when junior Pat Coyne (Randolph, N.J./Morristown-Beard) and senior George Jenkins (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) both came through with RBI doubles.

Scranton led 4-1 in the fourth after freshman Conor Campbell (Wilmington, Del./Salesianum) plated Querey with an RBI single.

Senior right-hander Thomas Plunkett (Mamaroneck, N.Y./Mamaroneck) got the start for the Royals and surrendered a run on three hits over 2 1/3 IP.

King's got a pair back in the sixth inning to cut the lead to 10-6, but Scranton added a pair of insurance runs in the eighth as Heineman and junior Joe Lisicky (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall) each knocked in a run with an RBI single.

Heineman (2-4, RBI, 2 R), Querey (3-5, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R, SB) and Zarnowski (2-3, 2B, RBI, 2 R) all recorded multi-hit games for the Royals. Junior right-hander Ryan Walsh (Rockville Centre, N.Y./Chaminade) who fanned three in 1 1/3 IP and freshman righty Ryan Boyd (Millwood, N.Y./Kennedy Catholic) who fanned three over two shutout frames both had scoreless outings in relief.

The Royals will host Dickinson in non-conference action on Sunday afternoon at Volpe Field with first pitch slated for 1 p.m.

--ROYALS--