Lackawanna College

5/7/26

WEST WINDSOR TWP., NJ – Lackawanna College baseball managed to pick up a win with its back against the wall on day one of the Region XIX Division II tournament, as the Falcons overcame a game one loss to Sussex County CC, 7-6, and snagged the win against Raritan Valley CC, 7-3, on Thursday at Mercer County Park.
 
The Falcons (20-27-1) played a solid game against Sussex (28-16) in game one, rallying from a 6-1 deficit after 2.5 innings to get within 6-5, and then 7-6 late, but the comeback ultimately fell short, with the tying run stranded on base in the ninth inning.
 
The Skylanders plated three runs in the first off starter Josiah Williams (Emmaus, PA), then tagged Jo for two more in the second inning to go ahead 5-1, with Lackawanna getting a run via an RBI double from Danny Stickney (Secane, PA) in the top of the second.
 
The lead grew to 6-1 on an RBI single in the third off reliever Daniel Jacobs (West Chester, PA), but Jacobs settled in and got a big strikeout to strand a pair to end the third.
 
Lackawanna got two runs back in the fourth, one scoring via an RBI double from Mark Zuppo (Garnet Valley, PA) and another on a sacrifice bunt from Matthew Cichocki (Bridgewater, NJ). After Jacobs got around a leadoff walk in the home half, the Falcons went for two more in the top of the fifth inning, when Zuppo struck for another RBI double, this time for two runs, to make it 6-5. The Falcons had the tying run on third with two away, but stranded the runner.
 
Jacobs retired the side in the bottom of the fifth, and Lackawanna led the sixth off with two on and one out, but once again came up empty. After a picture-perfect caught stealing from Stickney to Zuppo eliminated a baserunner in the bottom of the sixth, the Falcons had a one-out baserunner when Kolton Haifley (New Oxford, PA) doubled to right, but Lackawanna once again stranded the runner.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, a hit batter, followed by two-out double, scored a run to make it 7-5, but Jacobs got out of trouble with a pop out to third. Lackawanna stranded a two-out baserunner in the top of the eighth, and Jacob Amador (Boulder, CO) came on in relief and danced around a pair of base runners to get the Falcons to the ninth inning down two.
 
Two Falcons were retired to start the ninth, but Haifley singled to reach and was lifted for Bobby Filler, Jr. (Philadelphia, PA) as a pinch runner. Filler Jr. got to second on a wild pitch, then scored when Zuppo singled down the left field line to get within 7-6. Julian Montez (Westfield, NJ) was inserted as a pinch hitter, and he got a hold of a pitch to right, but it was a liner at the fielder, ending game one and sending the Falcons to the elimination game against Raritan Valley CC.
 
Williams took the loss, giving up five runs on five hits in two innings. Jacobs pitched well in relief, going five innings and striking out five, while giving up two runs on three hits. Zuppo was 4-for-5 with four RBIs and two doubles, while Stickney had a pair of hits and an RBI, and Haifley had two hits.
 
Raritan (18-18) took a 12-4 loss to Mercer County CC in seven innings in its first game, so the Lions made the short drive to Mercer County Park to face the Falcons in the elimination contest for game two.
 
Needing a solid outing to save arms for the potential run through the elimination bracket to the championship, Lackawanna College turned to sophomore righty Brant Barilaro (Monaca, PA). That faith proved to be placed correctly, as Barilaro was stellar, pitching a complete nine innings, scattering eight hits and three runs, while the Falcon offense took advantage of nine walks and a strong first inning to build a it'd never surrender.
 
Barilaro navigated past a pair of singles in the first thanks to a double play and a ground out, and the Falcons quickly loaded the bases with one out in the home half. Sean Moore (Philadelphia, PA) singled in two runs to put the Falcons up, and Stickney singled and got to second because of a misplayed ball in the outfield to make it 3-0. Another walk loaded the bases, and a pop fly behind first base scored another run to make it 4-0, Falcons, heading into the second inning.
 
Barilaro stranded a runner in the top half, and the Falcons cashed in on a two-out double from Hunter Austra (Larksville, PA) that made it 5-0.
 
Raritan got a one-out double, followed by a two-out walk, to put runners on the corners in the third, but Barilaro relied on his defense to pick him up, inducing a grounder to short to strand the pair.
 
The Falcons added a run in the fourth inning, as Moore singled to left field with two outs to make it 6-0, Lackawanna.
 
Raritan got itself on the board in the fifth inning, using a two-out double, followed by an RBI single, to score and make it 6-1. A walk put two on, but Barilaro got a pop up on the infield to end the threat, and the Falcons made it not matter, scoring a run on a fielder's choice in the home half to restore a six-run advantage.
 
Raritan had a two-out rally going in the top of the seventh, using a walk and then a double down the left field line to get within 7-2, but a lazy fly ball to left was squeezed by a sliding Jake Virbitsky (Media, PA) to keep the damage to a minimum.
 
The Lions got a solo homer in the top of the eighth to get within 7-3, but Barilaro struck out the side to limit the excitement. In the ninth, Barilaro continued to mow down the competition, getting a strikeout to start the ninth, a grounder to short for two outs, and a hard liner to third that stranded two baserunners and kept Lackawanna's season alive.
 
Barilaro's final line was nine innings pitched, giving up three runs on eight hits with six strikeouts for his fourth win of the season. Moore finished with two hits and three RBIs, while Virbitsky scored two runs. Stickney added an RBI, as did Austra.
 
Lackawanna College will be back to action on Friday, May 8^th, when the Falcons take on Sussex County CC in an elimination game at 10:00am ET at Mercer County CC's baseball field. The Skylanders fell to Mercer, 14-4, in the region semi-final contest on Thursday afternoon. The winner of the 10:00am contest on Friday will face Mercer in the Region XIX DII Championship at 2:00pm ET. If Mercer wins, the Mustangs are the champions. If they lose, there is a third game scheduled for Saturday, May 9^th, at 11:00am ET, where it's winner-take-all.