SCRANTON, Pa. – The University of Scranton baseball team (16-12) split a doubleheader with the Arcadia Knights (22-8) in non-conference action on Friday evening at Volpe Field in Scranton.

Scranton rallied for a 10-7 victory in game one before dropping an 11-4 decision in the nightcap.

This marked the first meeting between the two programs since Mar. 1, 2020.

Scranton 10, Arcadia 7

Junior John Zarnowski (East Brunswick, N.J./St. Joseph's) delivered a go-ahead three-run blast as part of a five-run seventh inning and the Royals held on for the 10-7 win in game one.

Zarnowski's blast came on the heels of a clutch two-out, two-run single from graduate student Jake Lisicky (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall) that tied the game at seven apiece. The home run was Zarnowski's first of the season.

Junior right-hander Johnny Flannigan (Huntington, N.Y./St. Dominic) allowed a run on two hits and struck out a pair over two innings of work to earn the win for the Royals. Senior righty Hunter Ralston (Duryea, Pa./Pittston Area) came on in relief to get the final four outs and notched the save.

Trailing 10-7, Arcadia brought the tying run to the plate with two on and two out in the top of the eighth, but Ralston got Hunter Curley to fly to right and end the inning.

Koby Staivecki gave up four runs on three hits to go along with a walk and a strikeout in a third of an inning and took the loss for the Knights.

Lisicky opened the scoring for the Royals in the home half of the first with an RBI single that scored junior Corey Zientek (Sugarloaf, Pa./Hazleton Area). The Knights tied the game with a solo run in the second and the 1-1 score would hold until the top of the fourth inning when Arcadia plated a pair to take a 3-1 lead for the time being.

Junior TJ Pleban (Hazleton, Pa./Hazleton Area) drove in a run for the Royals in the home half of the fourth with an RBI double and the hosts then battled back to tie the game at five apiece in the fifth as graduate student Dan Crossan (Media, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) plated a pair with a two-run single followed by a bases-loaded walk issued to freshman Vincent Napolitano (Merrick, N.Y./Kellenberg Memorial).

Arcadia took the lead with a run each in the sixth and seventh before the afore-mentioned five-run seventh that gave Scranton the lead for good.

Graduate student Ryan Heiser (New Milford, N.J./Saint Joseph Regional) gave up a run on three hits and struck out three over two innings of work in a no-decision for the Royals.

Senior Braden Breithaupt (Canadensis, Pa./Stroudsburg) set a new career-high with four hits to lead a 17-hit attack for Scranton, while Lisicky (3-3, 3 RBI, 2 R), Zarnowski (3-5, HR, 3 RBI, R) and Zientek (3-4, 2B, SB, 3 R) all added three hits apiece.

For Breithaupt, his four hits surpassed his previous career-high of three that had been set in a victory over Elizabethtown on Mar. 20, 2022.

Zarnowski's three hits also matched his career-high.

Arcadia 11, Scranton 4

The Knights broke a four-all tie with a run in the fifth and added a run in the sixth along with five more in the seventh for the 11-4 win in the nightcap.

Arcadia's Alex Madera drew a leadoff walk in the top of the fifth, advanced to third on a throwing error on a pickoff attempt and scored on a sac fly from Emilio Pallante for a 5-4 lead.

Junior lefty Mike Fox (Westfield, N.J./Union Catholic) was dealt the tough-luck loss for the Royals after giving up just one unearned run and fanning one in two innings of relief.

Zach Steiger got the win for the Knights after allowing four runs on seven hits while walking three and fanning seven in a complete game effort.

The Royals had tied the game at four apiece in the home half of the fourth when Zientek came through with a two-run single. With the hit, the Sugarloaf, Pa., native reached the 100 career RBI milestone.

In the early stages, the two teams traded solo runs and things were tied at two apiece after three innings before each side scored a pair in the fourth.

Junior lefty Matthew Moreira (Union, N.J./Saint Peter's Prep) gave up four runs on seven hits to go along with a walk and a strikeout in three plus innings of work for the Royals.

Zientek went 2-4 with a pair of RBI, two stolen bases and a run scored to lead the way offensively.

The University of Scranton baseball team is back in action on Tuesday afternoon at William Paterson with first pitch set for 4 p.m.

--ROYALS--