Box Score SCRANTON, Pa. – Junior outfielder Corey Zientek (Sugarloaf, Pa./Hazleton Area) set a pair of single-season records, but The University of Scranton baseball team (23-14, 11-7 Landmark) dropped a 16-5 decision to the Elizabethtown College Blue Jays (29-9, 15-2) in the series finale on Monday evening at Volpe Field in Scranton.
In a three-run third inning for the Royals, Zientek stole his 35th base of the season and later came around to score his 62nd run. The Sugarloaf, Pa., native broke the stolen base record that had been set by Chris Stallone in 2009 and the runs scored record that was set by Connor Harding in 2022.
ETown struck first with a run in the first inning, but the Royals answered with three in the third to take a 3-1 lead as a throwing error charged to Blue Jays starter Kyle Mulville brought home the first run, graduate student Jake Lisicky (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall) knocked in a run with an RBI groundout and classmate Dan Crossan (Media, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) followed with an RBI single.
The Blue Jays got a run back in the fourth with a sac fly and then broke the game open with consecutive six-run innings in the fifth and sixth. Tyler McGonigle delivered a two-run double in the fifth inning and Ben Watson cleared the bases with a three-run double in the sixth that made it a 14-3 game.
Junior right-hander Thomas Plunkett (Mamaroneck, N.Y./Mamaroneck) was dealt the loss for the Royals as he allowed four runs on six hits to go along with a walk and a season-high five strikeouts in 4 1/3 IP.
Mulville allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits while walking two and fanning one over 3 1/3 IP in a no-decision. Quinten Perilli earned the win in relief as he gave up an unearned run on one hit to go along with a walk and two strikeouts in 2 2/3 IP.
Crossan (2-4, 2B, RBI), junior Matthew Querey (Wilmington, Del./Salesianum) and senior Nick Reposa (Factoryville, Pa./Tunkhannock) all recorded two hits apiece for the Royals and Reposa added two runs scored.
In relief, freshman righty Ryan Boyd (Millwood, N.Y./Kennedy Catholic) and junior southpaw Matt Roda (Newtown, Pa./Council Rock North) both had scoreless outings and Boyd struck out three of the five batters he faced.
The Royals hit the road to close out the regular season on Wednesday afternoon with a non-conference matchup at Cortland. First pitch is slated for 4 p.m.
--ROYALS--
