Box Score MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – The University of Scranton baseball team (5-4) scored double-digit runs for the fourth time this season and cruised past the Plattsburgh State Cardinals (1-3) in a 15-7 victory on Sunday night at the Ripken Experience in Myrtle Beach.
First pitch on Sunday was originally scheduled for 3 p.m., but was pushed back to 8 p.m. due to rain in the area.
This marked the third all-time meeting between the two programs and the first since Mar. 14, 2010.
Scranton grabbed an early 1-0 lead after two innings and then plated seven runs over the next three innings to take an 8-4 lead at the time. In a five-run third for the Royals, junior Pat Coyne (Randolph, N.J./Morristown-Beard) knocked in a pair with a two-run double and classmate Jack Heineman (Abington, Pa./LaSalle College) followed with a two-run single of his own. Sophomore Jake Elston (New Milford, Conn./Canterbury School) later added an RBI single of his own later in the inning.
Heineman also struck with an RBI triple in the fourth inning as Scranton added two more runs.
Plattsburgh State began to battle back with four runs in the home half of the fourth.
Senior right-hander Daniel Johnson (Whitehouse Station, N.J./Immaculata) got the start for the Royals and allowed six runs (five earned) on four hits to go along with three walks and six strikeouts over 4 2/3 IP in a no-decision. In relief, junior lefty Mike Fox (Westfield, N.J./Union Catholic) allowed an unearned run over two innings of work to notch the win and freshman righty Jackson Bullaro (Syosset, N.J./Syosset) struck out one in 2 1/3 scoreless frames to close things out.
Sean Malamud was dealt the loss for the Cardinals after allowing eight runs (four earned) on seven hits while fanning four in three plus innings.
In the home half of the fifth, the Cardinals tacked on two more runs to cut the lead to 8-6 before Scranton responded with five runs in the top of the sixth to break the game open. Heineman delivered a two-run single in the inning and consecutive RBI singles from Elston and senior Nick Reposa (Factoryville, Pa./Tunkhannock) made it 13-6 after six innings.
Junior Corey Zientek (Sugarloaf, Pa./Hazleton Area) plated a run with an RBI double in the ninth and later scored on an RBI groundout from freshman Kevin Wittekind (Ossining, N.Y./Ossining) for the Royals' 15th and final run of the game.
Four different players tallied multi-hit games for head coach Mike Bartoletti's team in freshman Conor Campbell (Wilmington, Del./Salesianum) who was 2-5 with a stolen base and three runs scored, Elston (2-3, 2 RBI, 2 SB), Heineman (3-5, 5 RBI, SB, 2 R) and Zientek (3-6, 2B, RBI, SB, 4 R).
The Royals will battle New England College on Monday afternoon with first pitch in Myrtle Beach set for 3 p.m.
--ROYALS--
