3/24/23

SCRANTON, Pa. -- Eight runs in the first two innings were more than enough to propel the Falcons to their first Region XIX DII victory of the season, as Lackawanna College baseball knocked off the County College of Morris by an 8-3 score on Friday morning at the University of Scranton's Volpe Field at the Quinn Athletic Complex.
 
The Falcons (9-9, 1-0) scored three runs in the first inning, thanks to an RBI triple from Eric Ludwick (Bethlehem, PA), an RBI double from Ian Murphy (West Deptford, NJ), and an RBI single from Christian Rush (Perkasie, PA). Lackawanna added five more in the second, thanks in part to a two-run double from George Castro (Philadelphia, PA), another RBI single from Rush, and an error on the infield. Kyle Scott (Westminster, MD) made it stand up, going six innings and giving up three runs on four hits, striking out ten for his third win of the year. Murphy finished 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI, while Rush led the way with a 3-for-4 showing, driving in a pair of runs and scoring one himself.
 
After Scott pitched around a two-out walk in a scoreless top of the first, the Falcons struck in the bottom frame, getting a baserunner right from the jump on a leadoff walk from Zachary Walsh (Spring Brook Twp, PA). Walsh stole second to get into scoring position, and Ludwick cashed him in with a one-out shot to deep right center that caromed off the turf and into the wall. Walsh came around to score, and Ludwick lumbered around the bases for a triple to make it 1-0, Falcons. Murphy made it 2-0 when he doubled to the same spot in the outfield, scoring Ludwick. Later, with runners on the corners and two away, Rush singled to bring Murphy home and put the Falcons up 3-0, forcing a pitching change from Morris.
 
After a 1-2-3 top of the second, the Falcons tacked on more in the bottom of the inning. A one-out hit-by-pitch, followed by a walk, put two runners on. Another walk loaded the bases, and a Michael Miller (Drexel Hill, PA) sac fly to right brought one run in. Castro stepped up and delivered a big double to the left-center gap, scoring a pair of runs to blow things open at 6-0. Another RBI single from Rush scored Castro, and an error on the pitcher allowed Michael Rickert (Moosic, PA) to reach safely and bring another run in to put the Falcons up 8-0, forcing yet another pitching change.
 
Morris (7-9, 1-4) finally got itself going in the top of the third. An error on the infield put the leadoff man on, and a walk made it first and second with nobody out. Scott responded with a strikeout, but a wild pitch put runners in scoring position. An RBI single to left field scored a pair, and a balk put that runner in scoring position. A fly out to center advanced the runner to third, and a passed ball allowed that run to score and cut the Falcon lead to 8-3. Scott settled down to get the strikeout to end the inning.
 
Then, suddenly, a defensive struggle broke out, as neither team could really get much going at the dish. Morris got a two-out single and got the runner to second in the top of the fourth, but Scott got a strikeout to end the threat and strand the runner. The Titans threatened again in the top of the fifth, when a two-out double, followed by a hit-by-pitch, put two on with two away, but Scott once again got a swinging strikeout to end the threat.
 
In the top of the sixth, with the Falcons still ahead 8-3, Morris once more had something brewing, when a one-out single, followed by a hit-by-pitch and a wild pitch, had runners on second and third with just the one out. A bunt attempt by Morris bounded off the bat and quickly skipped to Scott, who flipped to Cole Casamento (Limerick, PA) at home plate to tag the runner coming from third out to put two away. A walk loaded the bases with two down, but Scott got a pop-up to second to get out of the jam and strand the runners.
 
The Falcons had back-to-back two-out singles in the bottom of the sixth to get some runners on, but a fly out ended their threat. Jace Cunnane (Clarkstown, NY) entered the game to replace Scott, and retired the Titans in order to start the top of the seventh. The Falcons had runners on second and third with two away in the bottom of the seventh, but a ground out to second stranded the runners once again.
 
In the top of the eighth, an error at short allowed the leadoff man on for Morris. But, the Falcons defense turned things up on the next batter, as a grounder to Giovanni Lopez (Olyphant, PA) turned into a nifty 4-6-3 double play, and another grounder to Gio ended the inning and kept the Falcons ahead at 8-3.
 
Cunnane kept it rolling in the top of the ninth, retiring the side in order to preserve the win and give the Falcons their first Region XIX DII triumph of the season, evening their overall record at 9-9.
 
The Falcons and Titans were scheduled to continue their weekend series on Saturday, March 25^th with a doubleheader in Randolph, NJ, but that doubleheader has been tentatively pushed to Sunday, March 26^th, with a 12:00pm ET start in New Jersey. That will also affect the scheduled home doubleheader on Sunday against Bucks County CC at Schautz Stadium in Dunmore, PA. We will have updates on lackawannafalcons.com as they become available, with regards to the ever-changing schedule.