University of Scranton

The University of Scranton baseball team saw its historic season come to an end on Saturday afternoon with a pair of losses in the NCAA Regionals at Ross Memorial Park at host Washington & Jefferson in Washington, Pa. 

Scranton fell to Chicago, 15-8, in the winners' bracket final to open the day and then dropped an elimination game to Bridgewater to close out its season. Despite the setbacks, the Royals capped a strong 2026 campaign that featured the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament victory. 

The Basics 

• Game 1 Final Score: Chicago – 15, Scranton – 8
• Game 2 Final Score: Bridgewater – 9, Scranton – 6 

• Win: Grant Tenuta (4-2), Loss: TJ DiMattia (1-1), Save: David Flanagan (5) 

• Scranton jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the second inning. Joey Granko started the rally with a solo home run over the right field wall. Brayden Keller followed with a walk and later came around to score on an RBI double to center from Vincent Napolitano. 
• Chicago responded in the bottom of the inning, taking the lead on three-run home run that put the Maroons ahead 3-2. 
• Scranton answered in the fourth, plating four runs to regain the lead, 6-3. Napolitano ripped a double down the right field line, and Aidan Casey and James Nitti worked back-to-back walks to load the bases for the Royals. Jared Cassella delivered a two-run single to left center put Scranton back in front, and Nitti later scored on a wild pitch to extend the lead to 5-3. John Heitzman capped the rally with an RBI single to right center to bring Cassella and push the Scranton lead to three runs.  
• Chicago fought back in the bottom of the fourth, rallying for six runs to take a 9-6 lead. Belden opened the inning with a solo home run to left field, and after the Maroons loaded the bases, they pushed across additional runs on an RBI single and a fielder's choice. Nathan Bae then broke it open with a three-run, bases-clearing double to stretch the lead to three. 
• Chicago tacked on a run in the fifth and another in the seventh, extending its lead to five runs. After a leadoff triple, a sacrifice fly plated a run in the sixth, and an RBI single in the seventh push the lead to 11-6. 
• The Royals kept fighting, plating two runs in the eighth to pull within three. Nitti laced a double down the right-field line and later scored on a groundout. Cassella was hit by a pitch, and walks to Conor Campbell and Granko loaded the bases for pinch-hitter Jack Portman, who was also hit by a pitch to force in Campbell and trim the deficit to 11-8. Scranton, however, left the bases loaded, stranding three runners in a crucial opportunity. 
• The Maroons responded immediately, erupting for four runs to push the lead back to seven. Erik Rindner doubled home a run to make it 12-8, and later in the inning, Max Wiesner delivered a bases-clearing double to give the Maroons a decisive 15-8 advantage. Scranton went down in order in the ninth, falling in the winner's bracket final and moving into the loser's bracket later in the day. 

• Win: Lucas Cash (7-3), Loss: Krish Patel (1-1), Save: Matthew Bishop (1) 

• Bridgewater struck first in the opening inning as Nick Stavros led off with a single, Jackson Walter was hit by a pitch, and Zack Chadwell followed with a three-run bomb to right field to give the Eagles an early 3-0 advantage. 
• The Eagles tacked on another run in the bottom of the second on an RBI double down the left field line, stretching the lead to four.  
• Scranton broke through in the top of the fifth inning. Conor Campbell reached on a fielder's choice and Matthew Gannon singled to center to put two on for John Heitzman, who launched a three-run home run to right center to cut the deficit to 4-3.  
• Bridgewater answered quickly in the bottom half of the frame, plating two unearned runs on a sacrifice fly and a balk to push their lead back to three.   
• In the sixth, Vincent Napolitano worked a walk and advanced to third on a groundout and sacrifice bunt. Aidan Casey ripped a double to left center to drive Napolitano home and trim the lead to 6-4.  
• The Eagles answered right back in the bottom of the sixth off am RBI triple to right center to make the score 7-4.  
• The Royals pulled within one run in the top of the seventh. Gannon and Heitzman each singled and advanced on an error, and Gannon came around to score on an RBI groundout from Granko to make it 7-5. Logan Mason then drove in Heitzman with a single up the middle to close the gap to 7-6.  
• Bridgewater added insurance late, scoring twice in the bottom of the eighth. A single and a hit by pitch put two runners on with two outs for the Eagles. A balk was then called against Scranton, wiping away what would have been an inning-ending groundout and moving both runners into scoring position. Jackson Walter capitalized on the second chance, delivering a two-run single to extend the lead to 9-6. 
• While Scranton's Gannon lead off the top of the ninth with a hit-by-pitch, the next three Royals were retired as Scranton was unable to mount another rally, falling in the elimination game, 9-6. 

• The Royals captured their third Landmark Conference title in program history. 
• Scranton earned its first NCAA Tournament win in program history.