5/1/22
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – Fifteen days after their doubleheader started, Lackawanna College and Delaware Tech finally completed their much-anticipated match-up. While the stakes weren't quite as high as they could have been, each team came away with some momentum, as the Falcons and the Terry Hawks split their doubleheader on Sunday afternoon at Scranton HS.
 
Game one, which technically started back on April 16^th, was restarted in the top of the fifth innings, tied at one. Delaware Tech managed to get things going on the restart, scoring two runs to jump up 3-1, and eventually holding on for a 4-2 victory to take game one. The Falcons recovered in game two, coming back from a 4-2 deficit in the bottom of the fifth inning with a big five-run inning to eventually win 8-4.
 
With the split, Lackawanna College (22-16, 9-3) has earned the third-seed for the Region XIX playoffs next weekend, while Delaware Tech (31-8, 10-2) secures the top-seed, also getting the ability to host the playoffs. Brackets, official seeding, and times for the playoffs will be announced later this week.
 
Game One Recap: Delaware Tech 4 – 2 Lackawanna College
It took over two weeks to get to the finish, but it was Delaware Tech who finally finished off game one, scoring two runs in the fifth inning to eventually pull away with a 4-2 win on Sunday afternoon in Scranton.
 
Delaware Tech (31-7, 10-1) got an RBI single, followed by a sac fly, to take a 3-1 lead in the fifth, then pushed another run across on a wild pitch in the sixth to provide themselves with just enough of a cushion. Lackawanna College (21-16, 8-3) got their own run across in the fifth on a fielder's choice, but couldn't get anything else going before the quick end to game one.
 
Quinn Hanafin finished the game with a 3-for-3 showing at the plate, driving in a run, while Julian Thompson was 2-for-3. Kyle Scott started the game two weeks ago and had nine strikeouts before the rain halted it, so Keon Burkholder was the man on the bump for the Falcons to restart the game in the fifth. Burkholder was tagged with the loss, giving up three runs on two hits in two innings of work.
 
Two weeks ago, Kyle Scott worked around a walk with three strikeouts in the top of the first, and the Falcons scored in the bottom frame on an RBI single from Hanafin. Delaware Tech answered in the top of the third with a two-out RBI single to tie the game. A couple big double plays, one from either side, were the highlights of the fourth inning, before the rain forced the stoppage.
 
Fast-forward to Sunday, where the game would pick back up in the top of the fifth, with the scored tied at one. Keon Burkholder took the mound for Lackawanna College, and the Terry Hawks greeted him right away. They had two on with nobody out after an error and a double, and an RBI single scored the go-ahead run. A sac fly to left scored another run, but the runner on first was thrown out trying to advance to second on a nifty 7-5-4 relay. Burkholder got a strikeout to end the top half, with Delaware Tech up 3-1.
 
The starter from two weeks ago, Zach Hart, was the pitcher on the mound for the Terry Hawks in the bottom frame, and Zachary Walsh greeted him with a one-out double. Thompson followed with a single to put runners on the corners, and a fielder's choice from Daniel Helfgott scored Walsh, making it 3-2.
 
In the top of the sixth, Delaware Tech had the bases loaded with two outs, when a wild pitch advanced the runners, allowing a run to come home and extend the lead to 4-2. Burkholder recovered the strikeout the batter and strand the other two runners. A one-out Hanafin single got the Falcons a baserunner in the bottom half, and a walk put two on, but a 5-4-3 double play killed the rally.
 
Samuel Daniels came on in the seventh and fired up a zero, giving Lackawanna one last crack at things in the bottom of the seventh. A two-out single from Thompson, followed by a single from Daniel Keenan, gave the Falcons some life, but a line out to short snuffed the rally out, handing the Terry Hawks the victory and clinching the top-seed for the Region XIX playoffs for Delaware Tech. The loss was also the fourth straight for Lackawanna College.
 
Game Two Recap: Lackawanna College 8 – 4 Delaware Tech


An inauspicious start put Lackawanna College behind the eight-ball, but a huge fifth inning, highlighted by a pair of homeruns, helped the Falcons complete a big comeback to down Delaware Tech, 8-4, in game two of the doubleheader on Saturday afternoon in Scranton.
 
Lackawanna College (22-16, 9-3) trailed 4-2 heading into the bottom of the fifth inning, when Cody Fleischer cranked a homerun to left center field to cut it to a one-run game. A Quinn Hanafin double tied the game, and an Eli Riley three-run jack sent the Falcons into the lead, giving Lackawanna something to cheer about for the first time in an otherwise tough weekend. Delaware Tech (31-8, 10-2) had baserunners in the sixth and seventh innings, but nothing to really threaten Lackawanna, as the Falcons snapped their four-game slide and got a little momentum heading into the Region XIX playoffs.
 
Zachary Walsh went 2-for-3 with three runs scored and an RBI coming on a solo homer, while Riley was 1-for-2 with his three-run blast, two runs scored, and a walk. Quinn Hanafin had a double and two RBI, while Fleischer was 1-for-4 with his solo homer. Cameron King got the start, pitching three innings and giving up four runs on six hits, but it was Phil Dull who would get the win, pitching four innings of no-hit relief, striking out seven batters.
 
The start couldn't have gone much worse for the Falcons, as Delaware Tech got three hits, two singles and a double, to take a 1-0 lead. A sac fly scored the second run, followed by an error, then an RBI single to make it 3-0. A two-out RBI single made it 4-0, before King settled down to get a strikeout and get out of the top of the first.
 
Trailing 4-0 in the bottom of the second, the Falcons got a pair of one-out walks to put baserunners on. Later, with those runners on second and third and still with one out, Dull sac flied to center, getting the Falcons on the board at 4-1. Julian Thompson drew a walk to put runners on the corners, but was caught stealing to end the Falcon half of the second.
 
King pitched around a double in the top of the third, and the Falcons got closer in the bottom frame, thanks to a sac fly from Hanafin, bringing Walsh home after he hit a one-out double, then stole third. The sac fly cut the deficit to 4-2, after three.  
 
Phil Dull stepped in to relieve King in the top of the fourth, and retired Delaware Tech in order. In the bottom frame, the Falcons got Riley aboard on an infield error with one out, and a Daniel Helfgott single, followed by a passed ball, had two runners in scoring position with just one out. Del Tech got out of trouble, however, with a ground out and a fly out to strand the runners and maintain the 4-2 lead.
 
Dull retired the visitors in order in the top frame of the fifth, and the bottom was when the Falcons finally found their footing. Fleischer tanked a pitch to left center to immediately pull the Falcons within one at 4-3. Walsh drew a walk, then stole second to get into scoring position, still with nobody out. Hanafin doubled him home to tie the game, forcing a pitching change. After a fly out to right allowed Hanafin to get to third, George Castro drew a walk to put runners on the corners with one away. Riley, the lanky right-handed batter, got a hold of a pitch and blasted it towards left field. The ball kept carrying, until it cleared the fence with ease, giving the Falcons the three-run lead and sending the Falcon dugout into hysterics.
 
Delaware Tech finally got baserunners against Dull with back-to-back walks to start the sixth, but he struck out the side to strand the runners and fire up the Falcons heading into the bottom frame. His teammate Zachary Walsh would deliver with two outs, taking a 1-2 pitch for a ride into left center field for his fourth homerun of the season, staking the Falcons to an 8-4 lead.
 
Dull would shut the door in the top of the seventh, pitching around a two-out walk and striking out the final batter to end the game and get the Falcons the split.   
 
The Falcons have one more regular season game scheduled before the Region XIX playoffs next weekend. That game will be Monday, May 2^nd, when the Falcons travel to take on the Northampton CC Spartans to close the regular season. First pitch of that single, nine-inning game will be at 3:30pm ET.
 
Check lackawannafalcons.com for scheduling updates.