3/26/23
 
RANDOLPH, NJ – A late rally in game two earned Lackawanna College baseball a doubleheader split against County College of Morris on Sunday, March 26^th, as the Falcons (10-10, 2-1) scored two runs in the top of the sixth to win 10-9 and improve to 2-1 in Region XIX DII play. The Titans from Morris (8-10, 2-5) took game one, 2-1.
 
In game one, Ryan Devanney pitched five innings for Morris, giving up just one hit, a single for Rush in the third, and striking out nine, while the Titans had nine hits but score two runs on two separate solo homers, including the go-ahead shot in the sixth inning to earn the 2-1 victory over Lackawanna College. The only run for the Falcons came when Christian Rush (Perkasie, PA) got a single in the top of the third, with the Falcons trailing 1-0, and manufactured his own offense by stealing back-to-back bases and then scoring from third on a passed ball. The only other hit from the Falcons came from Zachary Walsh (Spring Brook Twp, PA). Aiden Starn (Pennsville, NJ) had a decent enough start, scattering six hits over five innings, giving up just one run and striking out six, but he didn't get a decision. Ty Federici (Kingston, PA) got tagged with the loss, giving up the go-ahead homerun in the sixth inning.
 
After the Falcons were retired in order to start the game, Starn got the first two outs in the bottom frame, but a solo two-out homer gave the Titans the 1-0 advantage. Starn gave up a single to follow that, but got a ground out to get out of trouble.
 
The Falcons got a baserunner in the top of the second thanks to an error on the infield, but a strikeout quickly ended the threat. Morris got a leadoff double, followed by a one-out walk to put two on, but Starn got a strikeout, followed by a pop up, to strand the runners and keep it at 1-0.
 
Rush led the top of the third off with a single, the first hit of the game for Lackawanna College, then stole second to immediately put himself in scoring position. With George Castro (Philadelphia, PA) at the dish, Rush took off as Castro tried to swing. Castro struck out, but Rush got to third, now 90-feet from the plate with one out. His hustle would be rewarded later in the inning, when a passed ball with two outs gave Rush the chance to come in and score, tying the game at 1-1.
 
Morris got a pair of two-out singles in the bottom of the fourth, still with the game tied at 1-1, but Starn got a fly out to keep the game even and get out of the jam. Morris put the pressure on again in the bottom of the fifth, with a leadoff single, followed by a steal, and then an error that put the runner on third with nobody out. Starn got a strikeout, then a fielder's choice that eliminated the runner at third, and then another strikeout to get out of the inning once again, still keeping the Falcons around at 1-1.
 
A pitching change for Morris was almost just what the Falcons needed, as Walsh hit a one-out single in the top of the sixth to give the Falcons their first baserunner since the third inning. But Walsh wouldn't be there long, as the Titans picked him off to put two away. Brayden D'Amico (Bethlehem, PA) drew a two-out walk, then Eric Ludwick (Bethlehem, PA) reached on an error, which actually pushed both runners to second and third. It was a golden opportunity for the Falcons, but it would be wasted, as a ground out ended the threat and stranded the runners.
 
Morris made Lackawanna pay in the bottom frame, as Federici came in for Starn, and was rudely welcomed with a leadoff solo shot to break the tied and give the Titans a 2-1 advantage. A single followed, which chased Federici and put Nathan Russell (Drexel Hill, PA) on the bump. Russell got the first out with a ground out that advanced the runner to second. A single put runners on the corners, and then a stolen base had the titans in business with runners on second and third and just one out. Russell rebounded, getting a ground out to first for the second out, then striking out the next batter to strand the runners.
 
The Falcons got their last licks in the top of the seventh, but they went quietly in order, giving the Titans their second Region XIX victory of the year.
 
In game two, the Falcons had built a 6-1 lead over Morris after the top of the second inning, but the Titans scored the game's next eight runs over the next three innings to build a 9-6 advantage. In the top of the fifth, Christian Rush (Perkasie, PA) hit a two-run homer to pull the Falcons within a run, then back-to-back RBI singles from Zachary Walsh (Spring Brook Twp, PA) and Brayden D'Amico (Bethlehem, PA) gave the Falcons the one-run advantage. Devin Fletcher (Bethlehem, PA) pitched 3.2 innings of hitless relief, including pitching around a pair of walks in the bottom of the seventh, to secure his first win of the year and give the Falcons their second victory over the Titans in three games.
 
Walsh led the way, going 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBI, with a solo homer, while D'amico was 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI, Ian Murphy (West Deptford, NJ) was 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI, and Michael Rickert (Moosic, PA) went 2-for-4 with a run scored and a double.
 
After a tough first game, Walsh got the Falcons going immediately in game two, hitting a leadoff solo homerun to instantly give the Falcons the 1-0 advantage. D'Amico climbed aboard soon after with a single, and he eventually came around to score on a one-out RBI single from Murphy to put the Falcons up 2-0. Later, the Falcons had the bases loaded, still with one out, when a ground out to short scored Murphy and made it 3-0.
 
Keon Burkholder (Williamsport, PA) got the start, and initially got a pair of outs around a walk. But, an RBI double with two away scored the run to get the Titans on the board. Burkholder got out of the inning with a fly out to limit the damage.
 
Three more runs came home in the top of the second, as back-to-back-to-back singles led the inning off, and a bases-loaded walk made it 4-1. A sac fly, followed by another bases loaded walk later in the inning gave the Falcons the 6-1 lead after 1.5 innings.
 
Morris got things rolling in the bottom frame, using a pair of walks to start the inning to get baserunners, then an error on the Falcons to bring home both runners to cut into the Falcon lead at 6-3. A hit-by-pitch, followed by another walk, loaded the bases, still with nobody out, and Burkholder finally got that out, courtesy ofa fielder's choice at second, but another run scored. One more came home on a sac fly to left that cut the Falcon lead to 6-5, but another fielder's choice at second ended the inning and kept the Falcons in front.
 
The Falcons had the bases loaded with two away in the top of the third, but couldn't score, and Morris made them pay for it, smacking a solo homer in the bottom frame to tie things up at 6-6. Matthew McElligott (Columbus, OH), who came in to start the third for the Falcons, managed to get out of trouble after an error put a baserunner on.
 
The Falcons got baserunners in the fourth courtesy of a two-out Rickert double, followed by a walk, but a ground out ended the threat and stranded the runners. Morris once again made the Falcons pay, using four straight hits, a pair of singles and a pair of doubles, to put the Titans up 8-6. A walk, followed by a single, loaded the bases with one out, and another walk brought home a run to make it 9-6. McElligott was lifted for the 6-foot-8 Fletcher, who came in with the bases loaded and one away. Fletcher got things going immediately, striking out his next two batters to get out of trouble and strand the bases loaded.
 
The Falcons, trailing by three, got two back in the top of the fifth with some two-out magic. Murphy reached on a single, and Rush left no doubt, crushing a two-run homer to make it 9-8.
 
Fletcher retired the side in the bottom frame, 1-2-3, and the Falcons finally took advantage in the top of the sixth. A one-out single from Rickert, followed by a walk, put two on, and Walsh singled home one run to tie things up at 9-9. A pitching change followed, but D'Amico welcomed the new hurler with an RBI single of his own to give the Falcons the lead back at 10-9. Lackawanna had runners on second and third with two away, but couldn't get any more runs across.
 
An error in the bottom of the sixth almost gave Morris a baserunner with two outs, but the Falcon defense managed to pick him off trying to advance to second on the error and keep things quiet.
 
After a quiet top of the seventh, Fletcher came out for another inning of work. A pair of two-out walks had the Titans in business, but Fletcher got the line out to end the game, pick up his first win of the year, and give the Falcons the series victory for the weekend.
 
Lackawanna College gets back to action on Tuesday, March 28^th, when the Falcons travel to Loch Sheldrake, NY to take on the SUNY Sullivan Generals for the second time in a week. That game is set to start at Sullivan at 1:00pm ET.