4/26/26

LINCROFT, NJ – A wild ninth inning rally fell just short for Lackawanna College, as the Falcons dropped a 10-9 decision at NJCAA DIII #8 Brookdale CC in non-region action on Sunday afternoon in New Jersey.
 
The Falcons (19-24-1) trailed 10-3 heading into the ninth, down but apparently not out, as they rallied for six runs on just three hits in the inning. Back-to-back RBI singles, after back-to-back walks led the inning off, closed the gap to 10-5 and forced a pitching change. After a fly out, a walk loaded the bases, and a triple from Danny Stickney (Secane, PA) scored all three runners and got the Falcons within 10-8. A sacrifice fly closed the deficit to just one, but a strikeout ended the nearly miraculous rally.
 
Brookdale (33-9-1) plated ten runs on ten hits, drawing seven walks and only striking out four times. Lackawanna had nine hits, drawing seven walks of its own, but stranded seven runners and struck out nine times. Hunter Austra (Larksville, PA) finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a double, while Sean Moore (Philadelphia, PA) and Julian Abreu (Philadelphia, PA) each added two hits. Stickney had three RBIs, while Mark Zuppo (Garnet Valley, PA) and Jake Virbitsky (Media, PA) each scored two runs. Daniel Jacobs (West Chester, PA) was tagged with the loss, giving up four runs, three unearned, in three innings.
 
Lackawanna led in the first inning, when Austra doubled home a pair of runs with one out to give the Falcons the early 2-0 advantage, but Brookdale struck for three in the home half, taking advantage of a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch, a ground out, and a two-out single to go ahead, 3-2.
 
The Falcons stranded two in the second, but turned a double play in the home half. In the third, Brookdale used a leadoff walk to get a baserunner, stole second with one out, then used a two-out error to score a run and make it 4-2, Jersey Blues.
 
A leadoff single from Abreu in the top of the fifth was negated by a 6-4-3 double play, but Brookdale wasted two baserunners in the bottom frame, keeping it at 4-2.
 
Lackawanna had its best chance in the top of the sixth inning, using a leadoff double from Deacon Brown (Williamsport, PA) and a single from Austra to put two on with nobody out. It wasn't meant to be, however, as back-to-back strikeouts, followed by a fly out, kept the visitors off the board.
 
In the bottom frame of the sixth, Brookdale broke through for three runs, getting an RBI single, a sac fly, and a two-out double to make it 7-2. A balk in the top of the seventh got the Falcons a run with two outs, but a strikeout with two on kept Lackawanna from adding to it. A two-out single for the Jersey Blues in the home half of the seventh made it 8-3, and Brookdale added two more in the bottom of the eighth, scoring on a double and a wild pitch to go ahead 10-3, setting up the near-collapse in the top half of the ninth.
 
Lackawanna has dropped five-straight games, and the Falcons will look to bounce back with another non-region contest on Saturday, May 2^nd, with a home doubleheader against CCBC Essex. First pitch is set for 2:00pm ET at Scranton HS baseball field.