Lambroia's Walk-Off Single Lifts Baseball into Landmark Championship Series

Senior Anthony Lambroia delivered a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth and the baseball team (18-8) advanced to the Landmark Conference Championship Series.
© Photo by Timothy R. Dougherty / doubleeaglephotography.com
© Photo by Timothy R. Dougherty / doubleeaglephotography.com

Senior Anthony Lambroia delivered a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth and The University of Scranton baseball team (18-8) captured its second walk-off win in as many days and advanced to the Landmark Conference Championship Series with a come-from-behind 11-10 victory over the Susquehanna River Hawks (11-17) on Sunday afternoon at Volpe Field.

The Royals erased deficits of 8-2 and 10-5 with a five-run seventh inning to tie the game at 10 and set the stage for another walk-off win.

Scranton will host Elizabethtown in the Landmark Conference best of three Championship series beginning on Saturday.  

Lambroia's walk-off single scored sophomore pinch-runner Anthony Tramonte who entered the game after a leadoff double down the left field line from junior Jake Lisicky.

Junior left-hander Ryan Heiser tossed a 1-2-3 top of the ninth and notched his second win in as many days for Scranton. Dillan Weikel allowed the run on two hits in 1 1/3 IP and took the loss for the River Hawks.

In fact, the quartet of Heiser, freshman left-hander Michael Fox, junior righty Mason Boettger and freshman righty George Sengos combined to retire 10 straight over the final 3 1/3 innings.

Trailing 10-5, the Royals tied the game with the afore-mentioned five-run seventh as junior Tyler Kirsten knocked in a run with an RBI double and Lisicky cleared the bases with a three-run double that knotted things at 10.

Susquehanna starter Kyle Sears surrendered the 10 runs (nine earned) on nine hits to go along with two walks and five strikeouts in 6 1/3 IP. Junior right-hander Josh Lydon made the start for the Royals and allowed five runs on seven hits in 1 2/3 IP.

The River Hawks struck first with a run in the top of the first, but the Royals quickly answered with two in the home half including an RBI single from senior Kevin Johnson. Susquehanna plated four in the top of the second and added three more in the fourth to take an 8-2 lead for the time being.

Scranton began the comeback with a three-run blast from freshman Corey Zientek in the home half of the fifth, his second home run in as many days, that made it an 8-5 game before the River Hawks plated two more in the top of the sixth to take a 10-5 lead.

Senior Connor Harding was 2-5 with a double and three runs scored, while Zientek (2-3, 3 RBI, 3 R) and Lisicky (2-5, 2 2B, 3 RBI) also added multi-hit games for head coach Mike Bartoletti's squad.

Stay tuned to athletics.scranton.edu later in the week for a full preview of next weekend's Landmark Conference Championship series.

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