4/8/24
 
FLEMINGTON, NJ – In a game never lacking in offense, Raritan Valley CC rallied with six runs in the bottom of the eighth to stun Lackawanna College baseball, 15-12, in a Region XIX DII contest on Monday evening at the Diamond Nation Baseball complex.
 
The Falcons (13-16, 4-2) led the Lions (12-8, 5-4) by a 12-9 margin heading into the bottom frame of the eighth, but Raritan struck for six runs to completely flip the script. Back-to-back walks opened the inning, and what followed was a one-out double that scored a run and cut the deficit to two. The Lions then took the lead on a three-run homer, and added two more on a two-run jack to take a 15-12 advantage heading into the final inning.
 
Lackawanna initially trailed the home-side Lions by a 5-0 score just two innings in, but the Falcons scored two in the third, then completed the rally in the top of the fourth inning. Jake Kelleher (First Year; Exeter, PA) stepped into a bases-loaded, two-out situation, with his team down 5-2. The young catcher delivered with a blast, his first career homer as a Falcon, and a grand slam to boot, launching Lackawanna into the lead at 6-5.
 
Lackawanna added a two-out double in the fifth inning to make it 7-5, then, clinging to a one-run lead in the top of the sixth, the Falcons once again went to work with two outs. With a runner on third, Nick Matson (Redshirt First Year; Nanticoke, PA) singled home the run, and got to second because of an error. Another error allowed another base runner, and let Matson come all the way home to score and push the Lackawanna lead to 9-6. That's when Jacob Simpson (Sophomore; Scranton, PA) smacked a two-run homer to put Lackawanna ahead at 11-6.
 
The Lions wouldn't go quietly, scoring three runs on three hits and a Lackawanna error in the bottom half to cut it to 11-9, before their rally in the eighth to overcome a 12-9 deficit. In the top of the ninth, the Falcons were retired in order, helping Raritan earn its first win against Lackawanna College in baseball since the 2002 season.
 
Louis Kegerreis (Redshirt First Year; Murrysville, PA) went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and a run driven in, while Kelleher was 2-for-4 with four RBI, and Simpson and Matson each had two RBI. Nathan Russell (Sophomore; Drexel Hill, PA) was saddled with the loss, giving up six runs on three hits and a pair of homeruns in two innings of relief. The Lackawanna staff gave up 16 hits, nine walks, and four homers on the day.
 
Lackawanna drops to 4-2 in Region XIX DII, still in second place, and will look to rebound on the year with a non-region contest on Tuesday, April 9^th, when the Falcons travel to SUNY Sullivan County CC for a single, nine-inning contest. The first pitch is scheduled for 3:00pm ET in Loch Sheldrake, NY.