4/24/22
 
BSB: Lackawanna Sweeps Region XIX Doubleheader With Sussex County CC
 
AUGUSTA, NJ – The Lackawanna College baseball team found its groove on Sunday afternoon in New Jersey, taking a pair of games from the Skylanders behind some good offense and solid pitching at Skylands Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
 
The Falcons (20-12, 8-0) broke open a tight 3-1 game with four runs in the sixth, thanks to three big RBI base hits, then held on when Sussex scored a pair in the seventh, to win 8-3 in game one. Lackawanna kept it a little easier on themselves in game two, scoring six runs in the fourth, then two runs in each of the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings to run away with a 14-3 victory.
 
Game One Recap: Lackawanna College 8 – 3 Sussex County CC
 Lackawanna College broke open a tight 3-1 game with four runs in the sixth, then held serve through the seventh to win 8-3 on the road against Sussex County CC on Sunday afternoon in New Jersey.
 
The Falcons (19-12, 7-0) got three straight hits to score one run in the top of the sixth, but were in danger of the inning ending early with runners on the corners and two away. Daniel Keenan made sure to come through, doubling home both runners, and then coming around to score himself on an RBI single from Phil Dull, making it 7-1, Falcons. Cameron King would overcome a pair of runs scored from Sussex (11-16, 2-5) in the bottom of the seventh to close it out and give himself the complete game victory, his second win of the year.
 
Lackawanna was led by Keenan, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Christian Rush went 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI, and Phil Dull was 2-for-4 with an RBI for the Falcons. Daniel Helfgott went 2-for-3 with a run scored, an RBI, and two walks. King gave up three runs, just one earned, on seven hits, while striking out six and walking one through seven innings of work.
 
The Falcons had a pair of baserunners to start the game in Cody Fleischer (HBP) and Helfgott (Single), but the Skylanders struck three straight Falcons out to retire the side and strand the runners. That seemingly fired up Sussex, as the Skylanders got a run in the bottom frame. With runners on the corners and two away, an RBI single brought the first run of the game in, but the inning ended when center fielder Phil Dull relayed to Quinn Hanafin, who flipped it to Helfgott at second base to get the runner trying to stretch the single.
 
The Falcons, fired up after the end to the inning, came up with a pair of runs in the top of the second. A lead-off single from Keenan was eventually followed by a one-out RBI single from Rush, tying things at 1-all. Rush later came home on a two-out error on the infield, making it 2-1, Falcons, heading into the bottom frame.
 
King kept things quiet with a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the second, and the Falcons added another in the top of the third, when George Castro brought Hanafin home with a double to make it 3-1. Later in the inning, with runners on the corners and one out, the Falcons wasted a good chance when Castro got caught in a run-down between home and third, trying to steal home while Eli Riley stole second base. A fly out ended the top of the third.
 
Sussex got a runner to third, thanks to a single, followed by an error, but King recovered to strikeout the next two batters to end the threat.
 
The Falcons had the bases loaded with two away and Castro up in the top of the fourth, but a fly out kept the game at 3-1. They'd get runners on the corners with one out in the top of the fifth, but two straight fly outs stranded the runners and, again, kept things at 3-1, with the Falcons still in front.  
 
The top of the sixth was where the Falcons finally got their offense on track. A Fleischer double, followed immediately by a Helfgott RBI single, made it 4-1, Falcons. Hanafin came up and singled to put two on, but, after a pitching change, a fly out, followed by a strikeout, put two away. With runners on second and third, and two out, that's when Keenan delivered with his big two-RBI double. When the dust settled, the Falcons held a 7-1 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth.
 
One more run came across for the Falcons in the top of the seventh. With a runner on second, and two away, Zachary Walsh ripped a triple that scored Joseph Wileczek, pushing the Falcon lead to 8-1. In the bottom of the seventh, Sussex found some offense. With one out, and runners on the corners, a fielder's choice allowed one run to scratch across. Then, a single scored another, before King got a fly out to end the game and get the win for the Falcons.  
 
Game Two Recap: Lackawanna College 14 – 3 Sussex County CC


Lackawanna College scored six runs in the fourth inning, then two runs apiece in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings, on their way to a 14-3 win over Sussex County CC in the second game of the doubleheader between the two at Skylands Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday afternoon.  
 
Lackawanna (20-12, 8-0) was able to break open a 2-2 ballgame in the top of the fourth, scoring one run on an RBI single from Cole Casamento to take the lead, then scoring the other five runs with two outs, courtesy of a Daniel Helfgott double, a Daniel Keenan two-run single, an Eli Riley single, and a passed ball that allowed another run to come across. It would be more than enough for Keon Burkholder, who got the win, pitching five innings of relief, allowing just one run, unearned, on two hits, while striking out seven batters.
 
Daniel Keenan was 2-for-4 with two RBI, two runs, and a walk, while Cole Casamento went 3-for-3 with three RBI and two runs. Julian Thompson went 1-for-2 with two RBI, coming on a two-run homer, and a run scored. Sussex (11-17, 2-6) could only manage five hits, scoring their runs on a two-run single and an error.
 
The Falcons were retired in order to start the game, and the Skylanders had something cooking against Falcon starter Samuel Daniels in the bottom frame. With a man on and two away, a single put two on, and a walk loaded the bases. Daniels was able to get out of trouble, forcing a ground out to himself, where he flipped it to first for the out.
 
A lead-off walk got the second started, and Eli Riley reached on a hit by pitch, putting two on. A sacrifice ground out advanced runners to second and third, setting the table for Phil Dull, who singled home the first run of the game. Casamento doubled home another run, making it 2-0, Falcons, still with one out, and they'd get the bases loaded with two away, before a strikeout ended things before the Falcons could put more on the board.  
 
Sussex County would respond in the bottom of the second, when a lead-off walk, followed by a single, immediately put two on with nobody out. A sacrifice ground out put both runners in scoring position, and a two-run single was the result, tying things up at 2-apiece. Daniels recovered to get a pair of ground outs to end the inning.  
 
The Skylanders had another pair of runners on with nobody out in the bottom of the third, still tied at 2, when the Falcons made a pitching change to bring Keon Burkholder in the game. Burkholder got back-to-back strikeouts, hit a batter to load the bases, then struck out the next batter to retire the side, strand the runners, and fire up his teammates for their big fourth inning.
 
A Zachary Walsh double started the inning, and, with one out, a Casamento single scored Walsh as the go-ahead run, making it 3-2, Falcons. A walk put two on, and, after a pitching change, a fielder's choice put runners on the corners with two away. Helfgott delivered with some two-out magic, doubling home Casamento to make it 4-2. A walk loaded the bases, and Keenan scored a pair with a single, breaking things open at 6-2. Eli Riley singled home another run, and a passed ball brought Keenan home to make it 8-2, Falcons, before the Skylanders finally got the third out on a strikeout.
 
Burkholder sat Sussex down in order in the bottom of the fourth, and the Falcons came up with another pair of runs in the fifth, when Julian Thompson connected on a two-run homer, his first of the year, to stretch the Falcon lead to 10-2.
 
The Skylanders got a pair of singles to start the bottom of the fifth, and had runners on first and third with two outs, when they successfully stole second base and got a run to come home on the errant throw to second, cutting into the lead at 10-3. Burkholder induced a ground out to short to make sure to end the inning.  
 
In the top of the sixth, the Falcons scratched a run across with one out on a wild pitch with a runner on third, then got another home on a Casamento RBI single to make it 12-3. Lackawanna added another pair in the top of the seventh, when, with the bases loaded and just one out, Spencer Butz singled home a pair of runs, pushing the Falcon lead to 14-3.
 
An error put the leadoff runner on in the bottom of the seventh, but a fielder's choice, followed by a fly out, and another fielder's choice, ended the game, giving Burkholder his first win of the year, and giving the Falcons the sweep.
 
With the wins, Lackawanna finishes 4-2 with their games this weekend, and now looks at a pair of nine-inning games during the week, starting with a Tuesday, April 26^th home match-up with Region XIX cross-divisional rival Northampton CC. First pitch is set for 3:30pm ET, and there will be a video live stream available at www.lackawannafalcons.com/YouTube.