3/25/26

SEWELL, NJ – The firepower from the three-time defending national champion Roadrunners proved too much for Lackawanna College baseball to overcome before the daylight ran out, as the Falcons fell on the road against RCSJ Gloucester, 19-10, in eight innings on Wednesday night in a non-region contest called early because of the gathering darkness.
 
Lackawanna College (8-11-1) found itself in South Jersey for a second straight night, chasing a nationally ranked Division III opponent in the shadows, and the Falcons were once again going toe-to-toe with the hosts. After a disastrous third and fourth inning had given Gloucester (14-3) a 7-2 lead, Lackawanna struck for five runs in the fifth inning to tie things up, highlighted by a pair of two-run homers from Danny Stickney (Secane, PA) and Mark Zuppo (Garnet Valley, PA).
 
That good feeling would be short-lived, however, as the top-ranked DIII team in the country got the lead back in the bottom frame, scoring three runs, two coming on a two-run homer, to go ahead at 10-7. Lackawanna College managed to get a run back in the top of the sixth because of an error, but the Roadrunners really hit the gas in the bottom half, getting a grand slam and then adding two more runs to make it 16-8 after six.
 
The Falcons attempted to climb back in, but the offensive onslaught continued, with Gloucester scoring two more runs in the seventh and then a solo homer in the bottom of the eighth, before the umpires saw fit to end the game early because of the lack of daylight.
 
The Falcons led 2-1 heading into the bottom of the third, thanks to an RBI ground out and then an RBI single from Hunter Austra (Larksville, PA), but the Roadrunners managed to tie things up in a key moment with two outs. With a runner on third and two away, a two-strike pitch seemed to be a foul tip into the glove for the third out. However, the Falcons couldn't hang on to the ball, and it hit the dirt, resulting in a foul ball and a new life for the batter, who crushed the next pitch to deep left-center field to tie the game via a double. It set the stage for a two-run triple later in the inning, and that gave Gloucester its initial lead and set the stage for what would be a high-scoring afternoon.
 
Lackawanna had five extra-base hits, including two homers, while the Roadrunners had nine extra-base hits, including four home runs. Jayden Rosado was 3-for-4 with six RBIs, including a two-run homer and the grand slam. Nick Slogik had a homer and a double, finishing with five RBIs.
 
For the Falcons, Sean Moore (Philadelphia, PA) had three hits and two runs, while Austra had a pair of hits. Jake Virbitsky (Media, PA) had two RBIs, while Stickney had two runs scored and Zuppo had another pair of runs. Patrick Genco (Lutherville, MD) was tagged with the loss, giving up six runs, five earned, in two innings. The Falcons allowed ten walks and struck out just four batters.
 
Lackawanna College will get back to Region XIX DII play on Friday, March 27^th, with a single nine-inning contest against Sussex County CC. First pitch is set for 3:00pm ET at Scranton HS baseball field. The Falcons are set to take on the Skylanders in a doubleheader to wrap up the series on Saturday, March 28^th, starting at 12:00pm ET in Newton, NJ.