4/14/24
 
ROCKVILLE, Md. – Lackawanna College baseball outslugged the Montgomery College Raptors for a pair of high-scoring wins on Sunday afternoon in non-region NJCAA doubleheader action in Maryland. Lackawanna won game one by a 23-12 margin, then took game two at 22-12.
 
The Falcons (16-17) were dominant from start to finish, winning each game in five innings. Lackawanna scored runs in nine of its ten innings of action, hitting 14 extra base hits and plating 45 combined runs across two games, including six homeruns. The Falcons had 31 combined hits and 19 combined walks, constantly pushing runs across.
 
In game one, Lackawanna jumped out to a 13-3 lead after 1.5 innings, thanks in part to a two-run Aydan McNelly (Sophomore; Limerick, PA) homer, as well as RBI-doubles from Jake Kelleher (First Year; Exeter, PA), Chase Fischer (Sophomore; Ringoes, NJ), Nick Matson (Redshirt First Year; Nanticoke, PA), and a returning Michael Miller (Sophomore; Lafayette Hill, PA). The Raptors (19-15) rallied in the bottom of the second and third, scoring nine runs, highlighted by a pair of homers in the third, to eat into the lead and leave Lackawanna leading just 13-12 heading into the fourth.
 
The Falcons regained their composure, hitting two homeruns of their own, in the fourth inning, as McNelly again hit a two-run jack, and Miller crushed a three-run blast, extending the lead back out to 18-12. Lackawanna added five more in the top of the fifth, when Matson and McNelly hit RBI-singles, and Jacob Simpson (Sophomore; Scranton, PA) cranked a three-run bomb of his own, pushing the Falcon advantage to 23-12.
 
Kirk Stensrud (First Year; Glenside, PA) kept the Raptors off the board in the bottom frame, retiring the side in order to pick up his second win of the year. Stensrud pitched 2 1/3 innings of relief for the win. The Falcons had three players with four or more RBI, and five players with multi-hit games on the day. McNelly finished 4-for-5 with six RBI, while Miller was 2-for-3 with a walk, three runs scored, and five RBI. Kelleher was a perfect 4-for-4 with three runs scored and four RBI, and Matson finished 3-for-5 with three runs and three RBI.
 
Game two saw more of the same from Lackawanna, as the Falcons scored in every inning and were never truly challenged by Montgomery. Michael Rickert (Sophomore; Moosic, PA) got the scoring started in the first with a run-scoring single, then was one of two runs to come home, Rickert's unearned, after a single and an error gave the Falcons a 3-0 advantage.
 
The Raptors hit a two-run homer to make it 3-2 after one, but the Falcons added six in the top of the second, thanks in part to three RBI-singles. Two more scored in the third on a two-run homer for Rickert, and Matson cleared the bases in the fourth with a three-run double, which was followed by a McNelly RBI-single to score four more and push the Lackawanna advantage to 15-2 after 3.5 innings.
 
Montgomery scored ten more the next two innings, but the Falcons added seven more in the top of the fifth to build an insurmountable margin, highlighted by a grand slam homer from Kelleher that, at the time, put Lackawanna ahead 22-7, before the Raptors added five in the bottom half.
 
Reymer Rodriguez (First Year; Bonao, Dominican Republic) picked up his first career-win Falcon, giving up seven runs on six hits in 3 2/3 innings pitched. Matson finished 2-for-4 with three runs scored and four RBI, while John Hughes (First Year; Hamilton, NJ) was 2-for-4 with four RBI. Rickert finished 2-for-3 with four runs scored and four RBI, and McNelly had four runs scored and three walks. Vincent Proietto (Sophomore; Drexel Hill, PA) was 1-for-2 with three runs scored, two RBI, and three walks.
 
Lackawanna College now turns its attention to a crucial doubleheader on Monday, April 15^th, when the Falcons are set to host Mercer County CC in Region XIX DII play. The Vikings won game one of the weekend series, 5-3, back on Friday, April 12^th. First pitch of the doubleheader is at 3:00pm ET at Scranton HS Baseball Field.