4/21/23
 
BRANCHBURG, NJ – Four innings in to its Region XIX match-up with Raritan Valley, Lackawanna College was looking at a 6-5 deficit to the team at the bottom of the region standings. The next three innings went a little differently, as the Falcons scored the game's final 17 runs en route to a dominating 22-6 victory on the road in Branchburg, NJ on Friday afternoon.
 
The Falcons (24-13, 10-1) won their sixth straight game on the strength of their offense, hitting five total homeruns, nine extra base hits, and 21 total hits for the game. Trailing 6-5 in the top of the fifth, Mitchell Jolikko (Middletown, NY) got the Falcons on track with a two-run double, and Christian Rush (Perkasie, PA) singled Jolikko home to give the Falcons an 8-6 cushion. A scoreless bottom frame opened the floodgates, as the Falcons hit three homeruns in the inning, two with two outs, that helped balloon the Falcons lead out to 15-6. They tacked on another seven in the seventh, and Matthew McElligott (Columbus, OH) completed three scoreless innings of relief to end things early for the Falcons. Rush was a perfect 4-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored, with a two-run homer on the day. Zachary Walsh (Spring Brook Twp., PA) was 2-for-4 with three runs and four RBI, hitting a pair of two-run homers on the day. Michael Miller (Lafayette Hill, PA) was 2-for-4 with a run scored and three RBI, thanks to a three-run blast, and Eric Ludwick (Bethlehem, PA) was 2-for-3 with three runs and three RBI, getting in on the homerun parade with his own two-run shot. Ludwick also drew three walks.
 
Lackawanna got things started quickly in the top of the first, when Brayden D'Amico (Bethlehem, PA) singled with one out, and Rush quickly cashed him in with a two-run dinger that put the Falcons ahead, 2-0. Miller singled and Ian Murphy (West Deptford, NJ) walked to put two on, with just one out, but a line out and a fly out ended things early in the first.
 
Brandon Holzinger (Bethlehem, PA) took the mound to start the game, and it was a rude welcome from the Lions (3-24, 1-15), as an error let the leadoff man aboard, and a double put runners in scoring position. An RBI single scored the lead runner, and, later, a one-out balk with runners on second and third scored another to tie the game at two. Holzinger was able to get out of trouble before anything else came across to get to the second.
 
Walsh quickly reestablished the Falcons advantage, launching a two-run homer with one-out to give Lackawanna the 4-2 advantage. A two-out double from Rush had another runner in scoring position, but a ground out stranded the runner. In the bottom frame, a leadoff walk came back to bite Holzinger, as the runner got to second on an error, to third on a wild pitch, and came home to score on an single that cut the lead to 4-3 after two.
 
Fast forward to the top of the fourth, where the Falcons were at-bat, still up 4-3. Walsh walked, stole second, and got to third on a passed ball. D'Amico quickly singled him home to make it 5-3. Before the rally could really get going, D'Amico was picked off trying to steal. Back-to-back walks got the Falcons some baserunners, who each advanced on a ground out, but a strikeout stranded the runners in scoring position.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, Nathan Russell (Drexel Hill, PA) took over on the bump for the Falcons. He got off to a rough start, hitting his first batter, giving up a single to the next, and walking the third to load the bases with nobody out. A two-run single tied the game at five, and, later, with the bases loaded and still nobody out, the Falcons caught a break where a 6-4-3 double play made two outs, but Raritan took the lead when a run still came home to give the Lions a 6-5 advantage. Russell got the next batter to ground out to get the Falcons out of the inning.
 
The comeback started almost immediately in the top of the fifth, when Ludwick and Michael Rickert (Moosic, PA) each drew walks to start the inning, and Jolikko scored them both with a two-run double to give the Falcons the lead back at 7-6. Later, with two down and Jolikko on third, Rush brought him home to make it 8-6, Falcons, after 4.5 innings.
 
McElligott came on to pitch the fifth, and got around a one-out single thanks to a 6-1-5 double play that ended the inning and sent the Falcons to the top of the sixth inning.
 
Spencer Butz (York, PA) was hit by a pitch with one out, and Ludwick brought him home with a two-run homerun to make it 10-6, Falcons. Later, with a runner on second and two outs, Walsh launched his second two-run homer of the day, pushing the Falcon lead out to 12-6. D'Amico reached on an error, and Rush doubled to put runners on second and third, and Miller sent a satellite into orbit over the outfield fence, giving the Falcons a 15-6 lead heading into the bottom frame.
 
After McElligott retired the side in order, the Falcons came out for the top of the seventh. Butz led off with a single, stole second, and advanced to third on a throwing error from the catcher. Ludwick scored him with an RBI single to get the scoring started. Later, with one out and the bases loaded, D'Amico singled to make it 17-6. Vincent Proietto (Drexel Hill, PA) pinch-hit for Rush, and he delivered a three-run single into the outfield, advancing to second on the throw, and giving the Falcons a 20-6 lead, and forcing a pitching change from Raritan. A strikeout put two away, but back-to-back RBI hits made it 22-6, before the Lions finally got out of the inning.
 
McElligott came back out for his third inning of relief, and pitched around a one-out single to keep Raritan off the board and ended the game early in the seventh.
 
Lackawanna College has scored 59 runs combined in its last three games, and has gone over 20 runs two games in a row. The Falcons are 17-4 in their last 21 games, and winners of six straight. Lackawanna College remains a game ahead of Sussex County CC in the Region XIX standings. The Falcons will host Raritan Valley next for a doubleheader on Saturday, April 22^nd, starting at 12:00pm ET at Scranton HS baseball field in Scranton.