4/18/23
 
SCRANTON, Pa.– In a game that featured 21 combined walks and six hit batters, it was Lackawanna College that found the strike zone with consistency first, as the Falcons scored 15 straight runs to overcome an early deficit and win 16-5 in seven innings on Tuesday afternoon against Salem CC at the Scranton HS baseball field.
 
The Falcons (22-13) overcame a 5-1 deficit in the bottom of the third, taking advantage of five walks and some clutch hits from Brayden D'Amico (Bethlehem, PA) and Cole Casamento (Limerick, PA) to help Lackawanna tie things up, followed by a bases-clearing double from Michael Miller (Lafayette Hill, PA) that gave the Falcons the lead for good at 8-5. Lackawanna kept building on its lead, and the Falcons pitching staff managed to recover and hold the Mighty Oaks (11-21) to just two hits over the final four innings to secure the run-rule victory in the seventh. Lackawanna College drew 12 walks and had nine batters hit by pitches on the day. The Falcons were led by Miller's four RBI, going 1-for-4 with his RBI double and a sac fly, while D'Amico was 1-for-3 with three runs scored and an RBI. Christian Rush (Perkasie, PA) was 1-for-1 with three walks and four runs scored, driving in two RBI. Ty Morris (Manchester Valley, MD) got the win, his fourth of the year, pitching two innings of relief and giving up one hit and one walk, while striking out one batter.
 
The starter for Lackawanna College this afternoon was Marc DeNunzio (Thornwood, NY), who got around a leadoff single thanks to a 4-6-3 double play that got the Falcons back on their feet. In the bottom half, Rush drew a leadoff walk, and advanced to third on back-to-back ground outs. Another walk put two on, and D'Amico grounded to first, where the ball ate up the first baseman and got past him, allowing Rush to come home for the first run of the game. A fly out ended the threat, but the Falcons led 1-0 after one inning.
 
The Falcons had the bases loaded with just one out in the bottom of the second, but were unable to do anything with it, after a strikeout and a pop up stranded the runners.
 
In the top of the third, Ben Riddick (Manassas, VA) replaced DeNunzio on the mound for the Falcons, trying to protect a 1-0 lead. Riddick gave up three straight walks to load the bases, and Salem scored on a sac fly to left, tying the game at 1-1. A wild pitch put runners in scoring position, and an RBI single made it 2-1, Salem. A walk loaded the bases, and another walk forced a run home, making it 3-1 and prompting a pitching change from Lackawanna. In came Jeremy Coleman (Wilmington, DE), but he initially struggled to find his command, as a wild pitch and two straight walks scored two more runs to make it 5-1, Mighty Oaks. Coleman got a grounder to short with the bases loaded, which gave the Falcons the 6-3 double play and sent the game into the bottom of the third.
 
Salem gave up a leadoff walk, then D'Amico drilled a double down the right field line, scoring the run and advancing to third on an error in right field. Another walk put runners on the corners, and Casamento singled to score D'Amico and bring the score to 5-3. A walk loaded the bases, still with nobody out, and the Falcons drew two more walks, to score another pair of runs and make it 5-5, forcing a pitching change from the Mighty Oaks. A fielder's choice retired the first out at home, but Miller followed with his big hit, doubling over the center fielder's head to clear the bases and make it 8-5. Later, with two on and two out, Mitchell Jolikko (Middletown, NY) hit a two-run single to push the Falcons lead out to 10-5 after three.
 
Coleman came back out for the top of the fourth and retired the side in order, and the Falcons gave themselves a little extra cushion, getting an RBI double from Rush and an RBI double from Ian Murphy (West Deptford, NJ) to get the Falcons lead out to 12-5 after four.
 
In came Morris, who pitched around a two-out single to get the Falcons into the bottom frame. A hit batter, followed by a walk, put two on with nobody out. Casamento flew out deep to left, which advanced a runner to third. Jolikko stole second to put runners in scoring position, and a sac fly to left scored a run to make it 13-5. The Falcons were threatening for more, but they were picked off on second to end the inning early.
 
Salem led off the sixth with a soft grounder to the pitcher. Morris tried to throw down the line, but the ball skipped past first and into right field. However, the runner took a wide turn at first and hesitated too far off base, which allowed the Falcons to get a put out in a rundown. Then, after a walk, a grounder to first turned into a routine 1-6-3 double play to end the inning.
 
In the bottom half, with the Falcons up 13-5, A single, followed by two straight hit batters, loaded the bases with nobody out. Miller hit a sac fly to center that scored a run. Eric Ludwick (Bethlehem, PA) doubled down the left field line to bring two more runs home, making it 16-5, Falcons, heading into the top of the seventh.
 
On came Matthew McElligott (Columbus, OH) to pitch the top frame and close things out. A lead off single put a runner on, but another Falcons double play, this time a 6-4-3, put two away, and a fly out to center wrapped up an impressive mid-week win for the Falcons.
 
Lackawanna College has now won four straight games, and is 15-4 in its last 19 contests. The Falcons get back to action on Thursday, April 20^th, when the squad travels to Montgomery County CC for a nine-inning game in Blue Bell, PA.