WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 8, 2023) -- The University of Scranton baseball team (15-9, 7-4 Landmark) fell in a pair of tightly contested games of the opening series against No. 11 Catholic (20-3, 8-0 Landmark) in Landmark Conference action on Saturday at Talbot Field. 

With the game tied at 7-7 in the bottom of the ninth inning, Lucas Malave hit a three-run walkoff homer to lift Catholic past Scranton, 10-7. The Cardinals followed up with an 11-7 win over Scranton in game two. 

Game One

Junior left hander Matthew Moreira (Union, N.J. / Saint Peter's Prep) threw a career-high six innings in game one and posted a pair of strikeouts while allowing just three runs. 

Catholic struck first in the second inning as Matthew Fisher singled down the left field line to score two runs for the Cardinals. A sacrifice fly to center field scored another run for Catholic in the bottom of the second and the Cardinals led 3-0 headed into the third. 

Scranton got things going in the top of the fifth, scoring six runs on five hits. Graduate Student Dan Crossan (Media, Pa. / Archbishop Carroll) singled to score senior Braden Breithaupt (Canadensis, Pa. / Stroudsburg) and junior Jack Heineman (Abington, Pa. / LaSalle College) and cut Catholic's lead to 3-2. Poor pitching led to two more runs for the Royals in the fifth and junior John Zarnowski (East Brunswick, N.J. / St. Joseph's) capped off the strong inning with a single to right field that score two more runs. Scranton led Catholic 6-3 headed into the sixth. 

Zarnowski notched his third RBI of the game in the top of the seventh as he singled to right field to score junior Corey Zientek (Sugarloaf, Pa. / Hazleton Area) and give Scranton a four run cushion. Catholic responded quickly with four runs in the bottom of the seventh, including a three-run homer from Mitchel Johnson to tie the game up at 7-7. 

Malave's three-run homer with two outs in the ninth proved the difference as Catholic secured a 10-7 win over Scranton in the series opener. 

Senior left hander Jason Carpenter (Scranton, PA / Scranton) was dealt the loss after giving up the walkoff homerun to Malave. 

Game Two

Late runs proved costly again in game two as Scranton dropped an 11-7 decision to the Cardinals.

Crossan got the Royals on the board first as he singled to right center to score sophomore Jake Elston (New Milford, Conn. / Canterbury School) in the top of the first. Catholic responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first to take a 2-1 lead.

Junior Pat Coyne (Randolph, N.J. / Morristown-Beard) doubled down the left field line to score Crossan and get things going for the Royals in the top of the fourth. Breithaupt then followed up with a double of his own to score Coyne and give Scranton a one run lead. Junior TJ Pleban (Hazleton, Pa. / Hazleton Area) capped off the strong offensive inning with a single to center field that scored Breithaupt and gave the Royals a 4-2 advantage. The Cardinals regained their lead in the bottom of the fifth, scoring a pair of runs to bring the score to 5-4. 

Elston singled to to score Heineman and the Royals added two more runs off poor pitching in the top of the sixth to take a 7-5 lead.

Catholic ended the game with six unanswered runs, including a three-run homer from Zach Burton in the bottom of the eighth, to earn an 11-7 win over Scranton. 

The University of Scranton baseball team returns to action on Monday for the final game of the series against No. 11 Catholic at Volpe Field at 4:00 PM.

--ROYALS--