4/14/23
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – A top-of-the-standings clash is on the docket for Lackawanna College baseball this weekend, as the Falcons enter an important stretch of the back half on their 2023 season.
 
It starts with a nine-inning confrontation on Friday, April 14^th, when the Falcons travel to Delaware Tech CC for a meeting between the top two teams in the region. That game is scheduled for a 3:00pm ET start and will have a video livestream available via the Delaware Tech CC YouTube channel HERE.
 
Then, on Sunday, April 15^th, the Falcons will host the Terry Hawks from DTCC for a doubleheader, starting at 1:00pm ET at the Scranton HS baseball field. Both games will have a video livestream available via the Lackawanna College Athletics Network at lackawannafalcons.com/LIVE, and also on the Region 19 Sports Network.
 
About The Falcons
Lackawanna College (18-13) has won eleven of its last 15, and came close to making it 12 on Tuesday in a wild 15-13 loss to Monroe College at Scranton HS. The Mustangs rallied from a 13-11 deficit in the ninth to score four in the top half, and the Falcons couldn't respond in the bottom frame. Both teams were at the bottom of their bullpens, and the Falcons were shorthanded due to injuries, but it made for an entertaining game that saw 28 combined runs and 27 combined hits. You can read the recap HERE.
 
The Falcons are hitting .324 on the year so far, posting a combined .971 OPS, with a .448 on-base percentage. The Falcons have scored 274 runs, while giving up 208, and have scored ten or more runs in 15 games this season, 13 of which have been wins. Lackawanna College has 114 extra-base hits, including 67 doubles and 26 homeruns, and the Falcons have been deadly on the base paths, going 107-for-112 on steals this year. Lackawanna has drawn 183 walks this season, but has struck out 207 times. The Falcons pitching staff holds a 7.65 ERA so far this season, giving up 208 runs, 182 earned, on 223 hits in 214 innings. The Falcons have struck out 240 batters and are holding their opponents to a .262 batting average this season.
 
Corner infielder Ian Murphy (West Deptford, NJ) is a .396 hitter this year, and leads the Falcons with 40 total hits on the year. Murphy has a 1.137 OPS on the season in 29 games, and is slugging at .653 for the Falcons this season. Murphy is tied with two other players for the team lead at five homeruns, and he has a team-best 38 RBI on the year, collecting 16 extra base hits and scoring 30 runs, second on the team this year. Murphy has also drawn 13 walks this season, seventh on the squad, and is one of nine Falcons with ten or more walks. Murphy has 13 multi-hit games this season, and was 2-for-5 with three runs scored and a double against Monroe on Tuesday.
 
Outfielder Zachary Walsh (Spring Brook Twp., PA) holds a .379 batting average so far this season, and is second on the team with 33 hits. Walsh has a 1.239 OPS, and has scored a team-high 37 runs. Walsh has 21 RBI, and 15 extra base hits this season, including five homers, tied with Murphy and another Falcons for first on the team. He has drawn a team-best 27 walks, and has stolen 31 total bases this year, also first on the team. Walsh has a .538 on-base percentage, but has struck out 24 times, second-worst on the team this year. He had five steals in the first game of the year against SWVCC, drawing three walks and scoring four runs in the shutout win. Walsh has eight multi-hit games this year, and came in as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the ninth against Monroe on Tuesday, where he was hit by a pitch, then subbed out for a pinch runner.
 
Outfielder Christian Rush (Perkasie, PA) has the most at-bats (110) and holds a .282 batting average through 31 games on the year, compiling 31 hits, third on the team. Rush has a .854 OPS, with two triples, five homeruns, and 23 RBI on the year. Rush is tied with Murphy and Walsh for first on the team in homeruns, and is tied for third on the team in RBI. His 26 runs scored are tied with another Falcon for third on the team this year. Rush has 17 stolen bases this season, second on the team. He has eight multi-hit games this year, and was 2-for-5 with a run scored and a double against Monroe on Tuesday.
 
Shortstop Brayden D'Amico (Bethlehem, PA) has a .353 batting average in his 28 games this year. D'Amico has a .997 OPS, and has 30 hits, fourth on the team this year. D'Amico has scored 21 runs, tied for fifth on the squad, and has eight doubles this season, driving in 25 runs this year, second on the Falcons. D'Amico has a .491 on-base percentage, getting hit by a team-high eight pitches and drawing 18 walks, second on the team. D'Amico has nine multi-hit games this season. He missed the last game against Monroe.    
 
Catcher and DH Michael Miller (Lafayette Hill, PA) is hitting .500 in his 21 games this year, and has an OPS of 1.377. Miller's 25 hits are fifth on the team, and he's scored 18 runs on the year. Miller has eight extra base hits this season, with three homeruns and five doubles on the year. He's driven in 14 RBI this year, and has a slugging percentage at .780, with a .597 on-base percentage. He's drawn eleven walks and has been hit by four pitches so far this season. Miller has seven multi-hit games, with three of them being perfect outings. He was 3-for-4 with two runs scored, four RBI, and a double in the loss to Monroe on Tuesday.
 
Utility player Eric Ludwick (Bethlehem, PA) is averaging .256 on the year, with an OPS at .766 on the year. Ludwick has 23 hits on the season, scoring 26 runs, and he has driven in 23 RBI, tied with Rush for third on the team this season. Ludwick has 13 walks this season, one of nine Falcons players with double-digit walks. Ludwick has eight extra base hits, with two homeruns, four doubles, and two triples this year. Ludwick has six multi-hit games on the year, and went 1-for-3 with four runs scored, a double, and three walks against Monroe on Tuesday.
 
Utility player Spencer Butz (York, PA) is hitting .313 on the year in his 24 games, with 16 starts this season. Butz has a 1.070 OPS, and has a .476 on-base percentage this season. Butz has 20 total hits, and has 19 RBI this season. He's also scored 21 runs for the Falcons this year. Butz has nine extra base hits, and has drawn 14 walks, while getting hit by six pitches this season. Butz has five multi-hit games this season. He did not appear against Monroe on Tuesday.  
 
Catcher Cole Casamento (Limerick, PA) has 18 total hits and is hitting .346 in 22 games this season. Casamento has 12 runs scored on the year, and holds a .886 OPS. Casamento has six doubles this year, with 12 RBI, and has drawn seven walks, with a .424 on-base percentage. Cole has four multi-hit games this season, but was held hitless in four at-bats against Monroe on Tuesday.   
 
On the mound, the Falcons are led by Kyle Scott (Westminster, MD), who is 5-2 on the year in eight starts. He went five innings against SWVCC in the season opener, striking out ten batters and allowing just two hits in what became a shutout 12-0 win for the Falcons. Scott was the Region XIX Pitcher of the Year in 2021, and battled through injuries last season to still be named to the Region XIX second-team. Scott has a 3.34 ERA in 35 innings pitched, giving up 18 runs, 13 earned, on 27 hits, while striking out a team-best 59 batters and walking 18. Scott has held his opponents to .206 on the season. Scott has four games where he has struck out ten or more batters this season. In his last start, Scott was stellar, tossing a season-best 14 strikeouts and holding the Monroe Tribunes to just two hits in a 12-0 victory in five innings.     
 
Aiden Starn (Pennsville, NJ) has pitched 26.2 innings so far this season, and has a 2-2 record with a 7.09 ERA this year. He's allowed 24 runs, 21 earned, on 31 hits, with 30 strikeouts and 18 walks this year. Starn went four innings in his last start, giving up three runs, three earned, on just one hit, while striking out five but also walking five against UConn Avery Point two weekends ago. Starn didn't get a decision in what eventually was a 7-6 win for the Falcons.
 
Matthew McElligott (Columbus, OH) has thrown 18.1 innings of work this year in a team-high eleven appearances, with two starts this season. He's got a 7.36 ERA, giving up 16 runs, 15 earned, on 14 hits, while striking out 22 batters and walking 20. McElligott is holding his opponents to a .194 batting average on the year. He has gotten the start in two of his last three appearances, including last Saturday in game one against UConn Avery Point. McElligott had one of his better outings, giving up just one run on one hit in three innings, striking out a pair, leaving with the lead but not getting the decision. In his last appearance, he pitched around two walks and got a strikeout to end a scoreless inning of relief against Monroe in the eighth inning on Tuesday.
 
Nathan Russell (Drexel Hill, PA) has thrown 16.2 innings of work so far this season, making nine appearances, all in relief, posting a 5.94 ERA and going 1-0 this season, with a save. Russell has given up eleven runs on 15 hits, while striking out 12 and walking eleven this year. Russell's opponents are averaging .242 at the dish against him this year. Russell went two innings of relief last Saturday in game one against UConn Avery Point, striking out a pair and giving up just one hit to get the two-inning save.     
 
Keon Burkholder (Williamsport, PA) has thrown 16.2 innings so far this season. Burkholder is 2-2 with a 6.48 ERA in his seven appearances, giving up 14 runs on 14 hits, with 14 strikeouts and 14 walks so far this season. Opponents are hitting .233 against Burkholder on the year. Burkholder came on in relief against Sullivan last week, pitching two scoreless innings, striking out three, but got roughed up in his last outing, lasting just two innings in a start against Morris, giving up five runs, four earned, on just one hit and four walks. Burkholder avoided a loss thanks to a late Falcons rally.   
 
Reliever Jace Cunnane (Clarkstown, NY) has thrown 15 innings this season, posting a 4.80 ERA in eight appearances. He's given up eight runs on 13 hits, while striking out 14 and walking just four batters this year. Cunnane is holding opponents to a .220 batting average this season. He was roughed up in the beginning and the end of his last outing, giving up five runs on six hits in 3.2 innings of relief at the end of the game against Monroe CC in game two last Friday. Cunnane struck out four, and had the Falcons up 20-14 in the bottom of the seventh, but gave up three runs before needing to be relieved. He still came away with the win, as the Falcons closed things out.
 
Reliever Ty Federici (Lehman, PA) has made eight appearances and is 2-2 with an 8.31 ERA so far this season. In his 13 innings pitched, Federici has allowed 15 runs, 12 earned, on 21 hits, while striking out 12 and walking five. Batters have hit him hard this season, with a .350 batting average against him. Federici has had three good outings as of late, pitching one inning of relief last Sunday where he gave up one hit, getting the win against Lehigh Carbon last week, pitching four innings of scoreless relief and striking out a season-high seven, then pitching 0.2 innings of scoreless relief against Monroe CC to preserve the 20-17 win for the Falcons in game two last Friday.  
 
Lackawanna College is coached by Mike McCarry, now in his fifth season at the helm for the Falcons. McCarry has taken the Falcons to the NJCAA DII World Series twice in the last four years, taking the Falcons to Region 19 crowns in 2019 and 2021, on their way to the World Series tournament in Enid, OK. McCarry, who played under Jamie Shevchik at nearby Keystone College in the early 2000's, has been coaching baseball since 2006, having spent time at Central Bucks West HS, then moved onto the collegiate ranks a few years later when he arrived at LaSalle University, where he was the Head Assistant – Pitching Coach and Recruiting Coordinator. While at LaSalle, McCarry helped the Explorers develop a relationship with NJCAA schools, bringing in four NJCAA All-Americans in his time. After LaSalle, McCarry moved on to be the pitching coach at Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches, TX. McCarry is 112-70 in his 4+ seasons with the Falcons, winning a pair of Region 19 championships and coaching three NJCAA All-Americans, as well as several All-Region selections in his time at Lackawanna.
 
About Delaware Tech
Delaware Tech (24-10, 8-1) is 6-2 in its last eight games, taking two-of-three to start the run and splitting a doubleheader in its most recent action on Wednesday against CCBC Dundalk, winning game one 13-6 before dropping game two at 11-6. In game one, the Terry Hawks held a slim 7-6 lead heading into the sixth inning, but plated five runs in the inning to build a comfortable advantage, before tacking on another in the seventh to clinch the 13-6 victory. Game two was similarly tight, but it was the Lions who broke things open late, scoring eight runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to crack open what had been a 3-3 game to that point. In the top of the seventh, an error, followed by a single, had Del Tech in business with two on and nobody out. Back-to-back strikeouts put two away, but two straight two-out singles scored three runs to cut the deficit to 11-6. A walk put two batters on, but a fly out ended the threat and gave Dundalk the split at home.
 
The Terry Hawks are hitting .340 as a team this season, with a .929 OPS this year. Delaware Tech has scored 275 runs in 34 games this season, 8.1 runs per game on the year. The Terry Hawks have 92 extra base hits this season, with 58 doubles and 28 homeruns on the year. Del Tech has 143 walks this year, and struck out 195 times, and has 93 stolen bases on the year. The pitching staff for the Terry Hawks has a 5.03 team ERA, giving up 172 runs, 135 earned, on 235 hits in 241.1 innings. They have struck out 253 batters this year, at a 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings clip, and have drawn 127 walks this season.
 
Kory Pritchard leads Del Tech with 52 total hits this year, and a .419 batting average. He's got a 1.094 OPS this season, and he has scored a team-best 45 runs this year. He's got 13 extra base hits, including seven doubles and four homers, tied for second on the team, and he's driven in 22 RBI, tied for fourth on the team. Pritchard has walked 14 times this season, and stolen 15 bases, third on the squad. Pritchard has 16 multi-hit games on the year, and was a combined 2-for-6 with four runs scored and an RBI in the doubleheader against Dundalk earlier this week.
 
Hunter Rauch is second on the team, with 47 total hits and a .416 batting average this season, posting a 1.084 OPS on the year. Rauch has a team-best .500 OBP, and has scored 44 runs, second on the team behind Pritchard. Rauch has a team-best 12 doubles this year, and has 15 total extra base hits overall. He's driven in 20 runs, and has drawn 15 walks, third on the team. He's also posted 26 stolen bases, most on the Del Tech squad this year. Rauch has 12 multi-hit games on the year, and was a combined 5-for-8 with five runs scored and two RBI, as well as five stolen bases, in the doubleheader split against Dundalk on Wednesday.
 
Will Turner has 39 total hits and a .386 batting average this year. Turner holds a 1.094 OPS, boosted by his .624 slugging percentage, and has scored 24 runs this year. Turner leads the Terry Hawks with 35 RBI, posting ten doubles and four homeruns, tied with Pritchard for second on the team. Turner has ten stolen bases on the year, and has drawn eight walks. He has ten multi-hit games this season, and was a combined 5-for-8 with two runs scored, four RBI, and four stolen bases in two games against Dundalk.
 
Mason Morris has 31 total hits on the year, and is hitting .365 this season in 29 games. Morris has a 1.142 OPS, and has driven in 31 runs, third on the team, while scoring 27 so far this season. Morris has seven doubles and a team-high five homers, and has also drawn a team-best 22 walks this season. Morris has eight multi-hit games, and was 1-for-3 with two walks in game one of the doubleheader against Dundalk. He did not play in game two.
 
Chase Boyle has 29 total hits and a .309 batting average this season. Boyle has scored 24 runs, and has driven in 14 RBI. Boyle has just two extra base hits, a double and a homerun, and has a second-worst 23 strikeouts this year, while stealing 20 bases, second on the team. Boyle has five multi-hit games on the year, including going 3-for-4 with two runs, a double, and two RBI against Dundalk in game one on Wednesday. He was 0-for-4 in game two.
 
Matt Rodriguez has 28 total hits and is a .350 hitter this season in 29 games. Rodriguez has a .941 OPS, and has scored 14 runs this season. He has driven in 33 RBI, second on the team, on just five extra base hits, while posting 16 walks, second on the squad. He's got five multi-hit games on the year, and was a combined 2-for-6 with two runs scored and two RBI against Dundalk on Wednesday.
 
Cade Williams leads Del Tech with 41 innings pitched on the year, going 6-1 in eight games with a 3.51 ERA. Williams has surrendered 21 runs, 16 earned, on 39 hits, while striking out 37 and walking 16 for the Terry Hawks this season. Williams has thrown a no-hitter this season, striking out a season-high eleven in a 1-0 win over Anne Arundel back on March 5^th. He has won his last two starts, with his latest coming two weeks ago against Mercer on April 2^nd, giving up four runs on nine hits in 5.2 innings, while striking out six in a 7-4 victory.
 
Kyle Coffey has thrown 40.2 innings this season, posting a 1.77 ERA and going 6-1 in his eight appearances. Coffey has given up 14 runs, eight earned, on 26 hits, while striking out a team-best 38 batters and walking eleven this season. Coffey had a season-best 12 strikeouts in a complete game, nine-inning 3-1 win over Morris back on March 22^nd, giving up one unearned run on one hit. In his last start, back on April 6^th, he threw seven innings, giving up two runs on six hits and striking out five to get the win in a 10-2 victory over CCBC Essex.
 
Zach Hart is third on the team with 34 innings pitched, going 4-0 in seven appearances with a 3.71 ERA. Hart has given up 20 runs, 14 earned, on 33 hits, while striking out 34 and walking eleven so far this season. Hart has won four straight starts, with his best coming in his last against Mercer back on April 2^nd. He threw a seven-inning complete game, giving up two runs on four hits and striking out a season-best nine batters in the 15-2 win.
 
Jorge Javier is the top reliever, making a team-high 12 appearances on the year. Javier is 1-1 with a 2.35 ERA, pitching 15.1 innings so far this season. Javier has given up seven runs, four earned, on 13 hits, striking out 24 and walking ten this season. Javier has appeared in three of the last four games for Del Tech, his most recent in game one against Dundalk on Wednesday, where he pitched 1.1 innings of relief, giving up three hits and no runs, while striking out three.
 
The head coach for Delaware Tech is Stu Madden, now in his sixth season in charge. Madden came to Del Tech after spending three seasons at Seaford High School in Delaware, where he won Henlopen Conference Coach of the Year in 2017. Madden is a Langhorne, PA native, and played centerfield for Wesley College for three years. At Wesley, he was a two-time all-conference player, and still is among the all-time leaders in several categories. Madden played professional baseball in Australia for the WA Whips for two years, making an all-star game and winning a gold glove award. In his six years, Madden is 128-79-1, helping guide the Terry Hawks to the Region XIX Championship game in 2021, before falling to Lackawanna College in the final. Del Tech hosted last year's tournament as the top seed, but lost to Lackawanna in the semi-finals, then to eventual champion Mercer in the elimination bracket.   
 
Game Details
It all starts with a nine-inning confrontation on Friday, April 14^th, when the Falcons travel to Delaware Tech CC for a meeting between the top two teams in the region. That game is scheduled for a 3:00pm ET start and will have a video livestream available via the Delaware Tech CC YouTube channel HERE.
 
Then, on Sunday, April 15^th, the Falcons will host the Terry Hawks from DTCC for a doubleheader, starting at 1:00pm ET at the Scranton HS baseball field. Both games will have a video livestream available via the Lackawanna College Athletics Network at lackawannafalcons.com/LIVE, and also on the Region 19 Sports Network.
 
Lackawanna College was scheduled to take on the Harford CC Fighting Owls on Sunday, but that game has been postponed to a date and time TBD. The next game for the Falcons will be on Tuesday, April 18^th, at 3:30pm ET against Salem Community College at the Scranton HS baseball field.