SELINSGROVE, Pa. – Senior right-hander Daniel Johnson (Whitehouse Station, N.J./Immaculata) fired seven shutout innings in game one and The University of Scranton baseball team (8-5, 1-1 Landmark) split a doubleheader with the Susquehanna River Hawks (11-4, 1-1 Landmark) to open Landmark Conference play on Saturday afternoon at Harold Bollinger Field in Selinsgrove.

The Royals won game one by a score of 5-0 before dropping a 13-2 decision in the nightcap.

Game One

Johnson scattered just three hits over seven shutout frames and the Royals scored in four straight innings from the second through the fifth innings en route to the 5-0 win.

In the top of the second, junior John Zarnowski (East Brunswick, N.J./St. Joseph's) was hit by a pitch, advanced to second on a bunt single, took third on a bunt and scored on an RBI single from sophomore Jake Elston (New Milford, Conn./Canterbury School) for a 1-0 lead. Scranton added two more runs in the third as graduate student Jake Lisicky (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall) plated a run with a sac fly and Zarnowski delivered an RBI single to extend the lead to 3-0.

A double play brought in a run in the fourth inning and junior Jack Heineman (Abington, Pa./LaSalle College) plated a run with a sac fly in the fifth that extended the Royals' lead.

Johnson allowed the three hits while walking two and fanning five over his seven innings of work. For the right-hander, his 7.0 IP mark his longest outing since a win over Drew on Apr. 2, 2022.

Junior lefty Matthew Moreira (Union, N.J./Saint Peter's Prep) struck out a pair in two innings of relief to preserve the victory for Scranton.

Fellow junior Corey Zientek (Sugarloaf, Pa./Hazleton Area) led the way offensively for the Royals with three hits, a stolen base and two runs scored.

Game Two

Scranton grabbed an early 2-0 lead in the nightcap, but the River Hawks were able to rally for the win in game two.

Zientek hit a solo blast to left for his second home run of the week and Heineman reached on an error later in the inning which allowed a second run to score.

The 2-0 lead would hold until the home half of the third inning when Susquehanna plated a pair of runs to tie the game and then scored seven in the fourth to take control of the game. Lance Book knocked in a run with an RBI groundout in the third and delivered a two-run double in the fourth for the River Hawks.

Senior right-hander Hunter Ralston (Duryea, Pa./Pittston Area) surrendered six runs on six hits while walking two and fanning five in 3 2/3 IP and was dealt the loss for the Royals.

Tyler Rigot got the win for Susquehanna as he gave up two runs (one earned) on three hits to go along with two walks and eight strikeouts in six innings of work.

Lisicky tallied a pair of hits for the Royals, while graduate student lefty Ryan Heiser (New Milford, N.J./Saint Joseph Regional) and sophomore right-hander Jimmy Murray (Hawthorne, N.Y./Westlake) both tossed a scoreless inning in relief.

Head coach Mike Bartoletti's team will hit the road to battle Ithaca on Wednesday afternoon at 3:30 p.m.

--ROYALS--