4/18/26
 
GEORGETOWN, Del. – Great pitching and timely hitting helped Lackawanna College baseball keep the train rolling, as the Falcons' win streak hit ten-straight with a pair of wins on Saturday at Delaware Tech CC, 4-3 and 9-2, to sweep past DTCC in Region XIX DII play in Delaware.
 
The Falcons (19-19-1, 10-5) weren't quite as prolific as their five-homer showing on Friday, but managed to lean on their pitching to see them through the pair of contests against a desperate Del Tech (15-18, 4-11).
 
In game one, Lackawanna won a 3-3 ballgame with an RBI single from Jake Virbitsky (Media, PA), then relied on the arm of Daniel Jacobs (West Chester, PA) to finish the job. Jacobs pitched a perfect sixth and seventh innings for his second win of the season, keeping Del Tech from threatening.
 
The Falcons struck first in the second inning, using a leadoff single from Virbitsky, coupled with an error, to put a runner in scoring position. Hunter Austra (Larksville, PA) singled him home for the game's first run, and Lackawanna led 1-0 after 1.5 innings.
 
Josiah Williams (Emmaus, PA), starter for game one, danced around a hit batter and a single to strand a pair of runners in the second, then got a double play in the third inning to keep Delaware Tech from scoring, but the home side broke through for a run in the bottom of the fourth, thanks to a two-out single that tied the game.
 
Lackawanna immediately got the run back in the top of the fifth, using a leadoff double from Mark Zuppo (Garnet Valley, PA), a one-out walk, and then a Deacon Brown (Williamsport, PA) single to get back in front at 2-1. The lead expanded to 3-1 after a pop up on the infield let a runner score.
 
Delaware Tech responded in the bottom half, once again with two outs, loading the bases and then doubling home a pair of runs to tie the game at 3-3 after five.
 
The Falcons were quiet in the sixth, and Jacobs retired the side in the order in the home half, setting up the seventh inning.
 
After back-to-back strikeouts opened the final frame, Brown reached on a single, then advanced to second when an error kept the inning going. Now with two on and two away, Virbitsky singled on a 1-2 pitch to score Brown and put the Falcons ahead 4-3 heading into the bottom frame, where Jacobs retired DTCC in order for the win.
 
Williams walked five in five innings, giving up five hits and three runs, but Jacobs pitched two clean innings in relief, striking out a pair for the victory. Brown had two hits, a run and an RBI, while Virbitsky had two hits, a run, and an RBI, as well.
 
In game two, Makai Day (South Williamsport, PA) went the distance, allowing just two runs on five hits, and Lackawanna's offense built an early lead and then hit the afterburners late for the win, compiling 13 hits in the victory.
 
Lackawanna stranded a pair in the top of the first, and Day retired Delaware Tech in order in the bottom half, setting up the Falcons for a three-run second inning. A two-out walk, followed by a hit batter, put two on, and Quinten Jones (Harrisburg, PA) singled home the game's first run. Brown singled in another run to make it 2-0, and a wild pitch scored Jones and put the Falcons up three. Lackawanna had the bases loaded later in the inning, but a ground out prevented the big rally.
 
An error and a one-out single threatened to let DTCC score in the home half of the second, but Day got back-to-back strikeouts to keep a clean inning.
 
A Kolton Haifley (New Oxford, PA) double with one-out scored a run for the Falcons in the top of the third to make it 4-0, and it wouldn't be until the fourth when Del Tech finally responded, scoring a run on a fielder's choice with one away to force a run home and cut the deficit to 4-1 after four innings.
 
Jose Soquiel (Hazleton, PA) was the third in a trio of singles to start the fifth, driving in a run to make it 5-1, but Lackawanna got caught on a double steal, making an out at home for the first out, and couldn't get anything else.
 
Delaware Tech led the bottom of the sixth off with a solo homer to cut the deficit to 5-2, but Day got his three outs, pitching around a two-out single to get a strikeout looking to end the sixth.
 
In the seventh, the Falcons cracked it open, using a pair of singles and an error to score two, both coming on a Zuppo RBI single. Two more would score when Zuppo came home on an errant throw on a steal, and Soquiel scored on a Haifley sac fly that made it 9-2 heading into the bottom half of the seventh. Day retired the side in order to seal his complete game win and the series sweep for Lackawanna.
 
Day struck out five in seven innings, picking up his third win of the year. Jones was 3-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI, while Soquiel added three hits and two runs. Brown had two hits and an RBI, while Zuppo added a pair of hits and two RBIs.
 
The Falcons have won ten-straight games and are set to be the third-seed when the Region XIX DII playoffs start on Thursday, May 7^th, at Mercer County CC. While the seeds are not yet finalized, Lackawanna will likely face Sussex County CC, which finished 12-3 and swept the Falcons earlier this season. Delaware Tech CC cannot catch Raritan Valley CC for the fourth-place spot, but can still force a first-round match-up with the Lions if it can finish the year with an overall record of .500 or better. Del Tech currently stands at 15-18 overall with six games remaining on its schedule. Mercer, the host and likely top-seed, still has two games remaining with County College of Morris to complete its region schedule.
 
Lackawanna College begins a final flurry of non-conference action starting on Tuesday, April 21^st, with a home doubleheader against Monroe CC. First pitch is set for 2:00pm ET at Scranton HS baseball field.