Photos By Nick Williams, Photography Editor
By Thamoda Haputhanthri
The baseball team hosted Landmark Conference leaders Scranton (10-8 overall, 7-3 Landmark) this weekend for three games, ultimately dropping the series 2-1 – the team’s first series loss of the conference schedule.
Game 1
The first game of Saturday’s doubleheader didn’t go as the River Hawks (12-10, 5-5) had hoped, dropping a 13-1 decision after an impressive offensive output from the Royals.
Susquehanna starting pitcher Evan Applegate looked strong out of the gate, keeping the Royals off the scoreboard for the first three innings. SU opened the scoring in the 3rd inning when Tony Rossi knocked in Tyler Hmielewski on a fielder’s choice.
Shortly after, Scranton returned the favor as Conor Campbell crossed the plate on a groundout. The next inning was a seven-run onslaught from the Royals, needing only two hits and two SU errors to put the crooked number up on the scoreboard.
“Free bases, too many walks and hit batters,” SU coach Denny Bowers said. “With that team, their goal is to get on base, they run, they bunt, they do a lot of pressure type of offense, and when we put a lot of people on base, it presents problems”.
Three more Scranton runs followed with no response from Susquehanna in the 6th inning. Runs scored by Joey Granko and Evan Laub in the 7th aided Scranton to a mercy-rule win at Bollinger Field.
Alec Kulp, Dominic Giglio and Robert Kramer also pitched for the River Hawks, allowing a combined ten hits and ten earned runs. Mason Fischer got the win for the Royals, pitching four innings and allowing one run.
Game 2
The River Hawks turned it right back around in the back end of the doubleheader, earning a 13-3 mercy-rule win after being up 10-0 after only three innings.
Singles by both Rossi and CJ Orrego put the River Hawks up by three after the 1st inning. The second inning is where the River Hawks tripled their lead on singles by both Heyduk and Michael Gagliardi, as well as a three-run home run hit by Sam Martucci, the first of his career. Hmielewski also crossed the plate in the 3rd inning on a wild pitch.
“We like to run too, and with guys on base for us and having a lead, we can get creative and put some pressure on those folks,” Bowers said.
Scranton would try to put a run of form together in the fourth inning, scoring 3 thanks to runs by Conor Campbell, Jake Lopez, and Vincent Napolitano, despite putting up 0 hits for the Royals. Those runs would be the only ones the Royals would be able to taste for this game however, as the River Hawks responded by scoring two in the bottom of the 6th and shutting out the Royals for the rest of the game with Tyler Hmielewski scoring to invoke the mercy rule of a Michael Gagliardi walk.
Jack Greco pitched a wonderful game, pitching up five innings and allowing four hits.
“I just attacked the zone and trusted the guys behind me that they were going to make the plays they were going to make,” Greco stated. Greco was later relieved by Max Lipton, who allowed one hit in the final two innings.
“The ability to bounce back after getting runs in the first game and then to turn around and give it to them in the second game,” was the most impressive factor for Coach Bowers, who looked forward to a tight game on Sunday.
Game 3
Sunday’s matinee was a tight battle, one ultimately won 7-9 by the Royals due to a late comeback in the 8th inning.
Scranton opened the scoring in the 2nd inning, scoring three runs off three hits. Susquehanna responded with two runs of their own as Jaden Buechler scored off a Tyler Hmielewski single to right field and a groundout by Christian Biuso that allowed Hmielewski to score.
Single-frame innings from both Susquehanna and Scranton followed, until the 7th inning, where Susquehanna responded to Scranton’s solitary run with three runs and four hits of their own. RBI singles by both Rossi and Orrego put SU up by two runs heading into the final two innings.
What can only be described as a pitching collapse ensued, leading to the Royals prying the lead out of Susquehanna’s hands, scoring four runs off two hits and a singular error. Jake Lopez dealt a humongous blow to the River Hawks, hitting a sensational home run that flew past the right field fence, plating a pair. Two more runs would score on a fielder’s choice and a sacrifice fly.
Ben Gearhart started on the hill for SU, pitching under two innings and allowing a pair of runs. Zach Plank, Aidan Proctor, Jacob Klotz and Rossi combined to finish the outing. Klotz was credited with the loss.
“It was a really back and forth type of game, you know both teams got out the bullpens pretty early, at the end of the day, we’re struggling right now giving up walks, and hit batters, and putting guys on base,” Bowers said. “Scranton knows who they are, they have a really good idea of the strike zone, they don’t chase much, and they really make us have to pitch it, and sometimes we were good at it and sometimes we weren’t.”
Following a non-conference bout at Penn State-Harrisburg on Tuesday, SU will travel to Bethlehem for a Landmark series against Moravian this weekend.
