3/29/25
 
BRANCHBURG, NJ – Lackawanna College baseball stayed red hot at the plate, posting 17 extra-base hits and hitting seven home runs in two games to knock off Raritan Valley CC in a doubleheader sweep, 18-10 and 21-1, on Saturday afternoon in Region XIX DII play at Raritan.
 
The Falcons (14-10, 6-0) posted a combined 38 hits across the two games, had eight players with two or more hits, and never trailed at any point on Saturday, piling on the Lions (6-11-1, 2-4) from the start and never letting up.
 
Lackawanna built a 14-2 lead through 4.5 innings in game one, using a three-run homer from John Hughes (Hamilton, NJ) in the first inning to take an initial 3-0 lead, then four combined RBIs from Brooks Henderson IV (Feasterville, PA), a two-run homer from Jake Kelleher (Exeter, PA), and two separate wild pitches that scored runs, amongst other plays.
 
In the fifth, the Lions started to make some inroads against starter Trey Sajeski (Holland, PA), scoring five runs in the inning, highlighted by a solo homer and an RBI double, and they scored another pair of runs in the sixth to get within 14-9 after six complete innings.
 
But the comeback in game one wasn't meant to be, as Lackawanna reasserted itself in the seventh with a long three-run home run from Kenny Hirschfeld (New Hyde Park, NY), followed by an RBI ground out to make it 18-9. The Lions scored a run in the bottom of the seventh to get within 18-10, but George Creighton (Somers, NY) and the Falcons escaped with a play at the plate to nip a potential rally in the bud.
 
Henderson finished 3-for-5 with four RBIs, Jason Prudente (Bear Creek Twp., PA) had four hits and three runs scored, Hughes was 1-for-2 with two runs and his three RBIs, Kelleher was 2-for-3 with two RBIs, and Hirschfeld went 3-for-5 with three runs and three RBIs. The Falcons hit six doubles and three homers in game one. Sajeski got his third win of the year, allowing seven runs on five hits in five innings, striking out four.
 
Game two was tight early, as the Falcons got a run on a bases loaded hit-by-pitch in the top of the first, but stranded the bases loaded after that. Raritan hit a solo homer in its second at-bat to tie the game. Starter Liam O'Leary (Souderton, PA), who finished with eight strikeouts, struck out the next batter to set the tone, and the game was tied at one after one.
 
It stayed that way until the top of the third inning, when Henderson broke the deadlock with an RBI single, and Nick Matson (Nanticoke, PA) hit the first of two homers for himself on the day, going yard for a three-run shot to make it 5-1, Falcons.
 
Lackawanna added six more in the top of the fourth, taking advantage of two errors, then put four more up in the fifth on a grand slam home run from Matson to increase the lead to 15-1.
 
While O'Leary continued to cruise, the Falcons kept adding, getting an RBI double and then a three-run homer from Henderson in the sixth to make it 19-1. Jackson Weidner (Wildwood, MO) added a two-run shot in the top of the seventh, his first home run of the season, making it 21-1. O'Leary finished his complete game with a clean seventh to seal the series sweep and the win for the Falcons.
 
Henderson was 5-for-6 with five RBIs and three runs, while Matson had seven RBIs on his two home runs. Hughes was 2-for-4, while Louis Kegerreis (Murrysville, PA) was 2-for-2 with three runs. O'Leary picked up the win, allowing one run on five hits in seven innings, striking out eight batters and walking nobody.
 
Lackawanna College has now won seven games in a row, and the Falcons are unbeaten in Region XIX DII play. They're back to work in non-region action on Sunday, March 30^th, when the Falcons welcome Region XV foe SUNY Rockland CC for a doubleheader in Scranton. First pitch is at 12:00pm ET at the Scranton HS baseball field.