5/29/23
 
ENID, Okla. – It turns out that Lackawanna College isn't ready to call it quits on the 2023 baseball season. In fact, the Falcons are ready to keep making history.
 
Lackawanna used two big innings and stitched together just enough pitching to get through its elimination game, 10-8, against Glendale CC on Monday afternoon in Enid, Oklahoma at the NJCAA Division II Baseball World Series.
 
The Falcons (40-16) scored five runs in the second inning to overcome an early two-run hole, then scored four runs in the top of the eighth to extend their lead, only to see the Gauchos (32-30) score four more in the ninth inning, before Lackawanna shut the door. Pitcher Nathan Russell (Drexel Hill, PA), who pitched just 18 hours earlier against Heartland CC, came on with two outs, a runner at first, and the tying run at the plate in the bottom of the ninth, but got the big strike out for the one-out save and to preserve the Lackawanna win.
 
In the top of the second, trailing 2-0, the Falcons used back-to-back RBI singles with two outs to tie the game at two, then took the lead on a two-run double from Zachary Walsh (Spring Brook Twp., PA) to make it 4-2. Christian Rush (Perkasie, PA) would then add a double of his own to score Walsh and make it 5-2, Falcons heading into the bottom of the second.
 
After Glendale hit a solo homer in the bottom frame, the Falcons added a third run on a homer to left field from Eric Ludwick (Bethlehem, PA) to re-establish a three-run lead at 6-3. Glendale sac flied in the fourth to get a run home, and kept getting baserunners, but the Falcons continuously stepped up defensively, converting a pair of double plays and throwing out a runner at the plate throughout the course of the afternoon.
 
Leading 6-4 in the eighth, Lackawanna got going with the bottom of the order, as Brayden D'Amico (Bethlehem, PA) doubled down the right field line to score a run. Two more scored a few batters later when Dennis Pierce (Quakertown, PA) singled to right field. An error on a pickoff through allowed another run to score, giving the Falcons a 10-4 lead.
 
Normally a right fielder, George Castro (Philadelphia, PA) relieved Jace Cunnane (Clarkstown, NY) in the eighth, and pitched around a double to get the Falcons out clean, but Glendale CC hit Castro hard in the ninth, leading the inning off with four straight hits to cut the lead to 10-7, still with no outs. Castro got a fielder's choice, followed by a ground out, to put two away, but a passed ball put a runner on third, and an RBI single made it 10-8 and brought the tying run to the plate. Russell came on, and gutted through an at-bat against the Gaucho's top-of-the-order hitter to strike him out on a slider and secure a historic victory for Lackawanna College at 10-8.
 
D'Amico finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI, while Walsh was 1-for-4 with two runs scored and a pair of RBI. Rush went 2-for-5 with an RBI, while Pierce finished 1-for-3 with two RBI and a pair of walks. Cunnane pitched three innings of relief for the win, moving to 3-0 on the year, giving up two hits and two walks. Russell got the one-out save, his second save of the season.
 
After the Falcons went in order to start the game, Brandon Holzinger (Bethlehem, PA) got the ball in a big start for Lackawanna. Holzinger struggled, as Glendale pounced with a leadoff single and a walk to put two on. A fly out put one away, but an error on the throw to third let runners get to second and third with one out. A fielder's choice knocked out the lead runner for two outs, but back-to-back walks forced the first run of the game home. A balk scored a second run, before a line out to short ended the inning.
 
Back-to-back strikeouts started the inning for Lackawanna in the second, but a two-out double from Spencer Butz (York, PA), followed by a walk, put two on with two outs. Cole Casamento (Limerick, PA) singled to score Butz, and D'Amico singled to score the tying run. That turned the lineup over and brought up Walsh, who doubled into the left-center gap to score two runs and make it 4-2, Falcons. Pierce was intentionally walked, which brought Rush up, who doubled to drive in Walsh. Pierce was thrown out after rounding third and straying off the base, ending the inning early, but giving the Falcons a 5-2 lead.
 
Matthew McElligott (Columbus, OH) relieved Holzinger in the second, and immediately gave up a solo homer and a pair of singles to put two on. McElligott got a fly out to put one away, but another single loaded the bases. That's when the Falcons' defense stepped up, as a hot-shot to third was gloved by Pierce, who flipped to Michael Rickert (Moosic, PA) at second, and then Rickert fired a strike to Ian Murphy (West Deptford, NJ) at first to complete the 5-4-3 double play and get McElligott out of trouble.
 
In the top of the third, Ludwick came up with one out and launched a pitch over the left field wall to restore the Lackawanna lead at 6-3. A single from Butz followed, chasing the Glendale starter. Butz stole second, and Rickert drew his second walk of the game to put two on, but a fly out, followed by a strikeout, kept the Falcons from adding to their lead any further.
 
A two-out double in the bottom of the third didn't go anywhere for Glendale, and the Falcons were retired in order in the top of the fourth with three straight strikeouts. In the bottom of the fourth, Glendale got one back. The Gauchos has runners at first and third with one out, when a fly out to right field resulted in a sac fly and an RBI, cutting into the lead at 6-4. It looked like the Gauchos had more going, when a double to center looked to score the runner from first, but a spectacular defensive play by Walsh, where he kept the ball from getting past him, then fired into D'Amico, gave the Falcons the chance to relay to the plate and get the runner out, getting Lackawanna out of the inning with just the sac fly run scoring.
 
Cunnane replaced McElligott in the bottom of the fifth, still with a 6-4 lead, and he pitched around a leadoff single to get three straight outs and get the Falcons out of any serious danger. Lackawanna got a runner to second after D'Amico reached on a fielder's choice and stole second with two outs, but a strikeout stranded him and ended the top of the sixth without anything coming home.
 
Glendale threatened in the bottom of the sixth, when a leadoff walk, followed later by a one-out walk and a passed ball, put runners on second and third with one out. The Falcons got another spectacular defensive play, this time from Pierce, who snagged a hot-shot liner right at him, then stepped on the bag to get the unassisted double-play and get the Falcons out of the inning with their two-run lead still intact.
 
The top of the seventh saw Lackawanna look like it finally had something going with a leadoff walk, followed by a bunt single from Rush, but a double-play ball to second put two away, and a fly out to second ended the inning with a runner stranded at third. Cunnane made sure the Falcons wouldn't pay for it, however, getting three straight ground outs to get out of trouble in the bottom half.
 
In the top of the eighth, Lackawanna got something going with a one-out single from Ranciel Ventura (Allentown, PA). A pitching change for the Gauchos didn't make a difference, as Casamento drew a walk, then D'Amico, with the infield in tight for a potential bunt, swung away and ripped a laser down the right field line that just cleared the bag, scoring Ventura and getting the Falcons a pair of runners at second and third with just one out. Another pitching change occurred, and Walsh drew a walk to load the bases. That brought up Pierce, who singled through the right side to score a pair of runs and make it 9-4. With runners on the corners and still the one out, a pickoff attempt resulted in an errant throw from the pitcher, allowing Walsh to score and putting Pierce at second. Another pitching change occurred, and Pierce advanced to third on a wild pitch, still with just one out. The latest pitcher settled in, however, striking out Rush to put two away, and then getting a ground out to end the Lackawanna threat, but setting the Falcons up with a 10-4 lead.
 
In the eighth, coach Mike McCarry went beyond his bullpen, bringing in veteran outfielder George Castro to pitch for the first time in his career. Castro had a decent first inning, pitching around a one-out double to keep the Gauchos off the scoreboard in the bottom half of the eighth.
 
The Falcons got a one-out single in the ninth, but the runner was picked off on the bases. With two outs, Ventura drew a walk, but Casamento was set down on strikes to get the game to the bottom of the ninth.
 
Castro was figured out by the Gauchos in the bottom frame, as Glendale singled twice to start the inning, then doubled to score one run, and singled to score two more, making it 10-7 with a runner on first and nobody out. A fielder's choice back to Castro got one out, as Castro whipped around and fired to second to get the lead runner. A second ground out let Castro show off his fielding, bouncing off the mound to field the ball and throw to first for the second out. With a runner on second and two down, a passed ball put that run 90 feet away. Then, an RBI single scored that run to make it 10-8 and bring the tying run to the plate, activating the Lackawanna bench and forcing a pitching change to bring Russell. Russell, who threw an inning of relief just 18-or-so hours earlier against Heartland, came on and got what he came for, striking out the final batter to get Lackawanna its second win at this year's World Series.
 
The win marks the first time the Falcon baseball program has ever won multiple games at the NJCAA World Series, and just the third time in history that Lackawanna College has eclipsed 40 wins in a season. This year's win total is tied with 2010 for the second-most wins in a season. The Falcons will now play in another elimination game, set for Tuesday, May 30^th, at 8:00pm ET against fifth-seeded St. Johns River State, which lost on a walk-off to Heartland CC, 5-4, on Monday afternoon. The winner will advance to face Heartland in the semi-final round on Wednesday, May 31^st, at 8:00pm ET.