SCRANTON, PA (May 14, 2023) – After a remarkable run through the first two days of the Landmark Conference Tournament this weekend, Susquehanna baseball wrapped up the competition in dramatic and triumphant fashion, needing two wins over the University of Scranton in the championship round after coming in with one loss in the double-elimination format. The River Hawks got those two wins back-to-back and did so in style, winning the first game 8-6 in extra innings before going to the wire once more in the second and decisive game, coming out on top and claiming the title with a walk-off 6-5 win.

Game 1: Susquehanna 8, Scranton 6 (10 Inn.)

SU started the day on the right foot with a big inning in the top of the 1^st, plating two runs on four hits and seeing eight batters come to the plate. This set the tone for what was ultimately a 14-hit effort for the team. Teagan Duffie took the mound for the start, his first outing in nearly a month, and threw well to get the game started, throwing 3.1 innings while allowing three runs on four hits and striking out three batters.

After Scranton got on the board with one run in the bottom of the third, they broke things open in the next inning with a three-run frame, taking their first lead of the day at 4-2. SU would immediately match that tally in the top of the 5^th with their own rally, aided by a Scranton fielding error, a wild pitch, and Dylan Heyduk's second RBI knock of the day, a single after hitting a double in the 1^st inning. Back in the lead at 5-4, the River Hawks added another off the bat of Tony Rossi in the top of the 6^th, with the sophomore launching a one-out solo shot deep over the left field fence to pick up his second home run of the tournament and 10^th of the season.

The Royals scored once in the bottom of the inning to make the score 6-5, and from there the tension would build as the teams traded empty frames, both pitching staffs working their way out of jams through the 7^th and 8^th innings, stretching all the way into the bottom of the 9^th, with Scranton down to their last opportunity. Vincent Mariella would enter to close out the contest after a lead-off single, but a sacrifice bunt and a fielding error would allow that runner to come home and tie the game before Mariella could end the inning, sending the game into extras.

Despite failing in their first opportunity to end the game, SU did not miss a step and immediately rebounded at the plate in the 10^th. Sean McCulloch led off with a double, followed by a bunt single from Brock Veit, moving McCulloch to third. Rossi came through again, picking up his second RBI of the day on a sacrifice fly and putting the River Hawks back in front. They added another when Veit scored on another sacrifice fly, this one from Kris Morrow, giving Mariella a two-run cushion to work with in the bottom of the 10^th. And he would take full advantage at the second time of asking, shutting the door and sitting the Royals down in order to end the game and force the winner-take-all game 2.

Game 2: Susquehanna 6, Scranton 5

With the Royals needing momentum after losing their first game of the tournament, Nick Reposa provided an early spark for Scranton by launching a lead-off home run on the very first pitch of game 2. Meanwhile, SU would be slower to start at the plate, managing just one baserunner in each of the first two innings before getting an equalizing run in the bottom of the 3^rd after Michael Biuso worked a one-out walk, stole second, and came home to score on an RBI single from McCulloch. The respective pitching staffs settled in well from there, both groups turning in three-straight innings of shutout work. Dillan Weikel started the game for SU, his second start of the tournament after starting and earning the win in the team's win over Elizabethtown on Friday afternoon. He produced another strong outing, managing an impressive 5.0 innings of work on just a single day's rest, allowing only that one run on six hits, and striking out two. The tides would finally shift drastically in the top of the 7^th, with Scranton putting together a huge rally, bringing eight batters to the plate, and scoring four runs in the inning while needing only one hit. The bases would be loaded to start the inning after a walk and two-straight hit batters set up a tough spot for the SU defense. Mariella came in once more to try and shut things down but could not get out unscathed as Scranton culminated their scoring on a two-out, two-RBI double down the right field line to take a commanding 5-1 lead.

Now facing their largest deficit of the day late in the game, it looked as though the championship was moving out of Susquehanna's grasp. But not to be deterred, the hitters got to work doing what they've done so well all season and mounted a remarkable comeback. They would erase Scranton's four-run advantage all in one inning, putting up their own four-spot in the bottom of the 7^th. Three hits and two costly fielding errors by the Royals allowed SU to bring all nine batters to the plate, scoring three runs before recording their first out and tying the game back up on another timely knock by Heyduk, this one being an RBI fielder's choice to the pitcher as Scranton failed to tag out Rossi as he came from third to home. With the team's square once more, they would each threaten in the 8^th but would be unable to score, with Aidan Martin taking the mound for SU and stranding Scranton's sole baserunner in the top of the frame.

It all came to a head in the 9^th, the perfect backdrop for what was an incredible back-and-forth affair between the two teams across both contests. With the conference crown up for grabs, Martin did his half of the job in the top of the inning. After allowing a lead-off single, he would induce a ground-out from Scranton's three-hole hitter, strike-out the clean-up man, and get another ground-out by the 6^th batter in the order after the team elected to intentionally walk the number five hitter to set up a force out at first, second, or third. Next came the offense, and just as they did in the 10^th inning of game 1, the bats came out hot in the bottom of the 9^th. J.P. Yore led off with a single and then advanced to second on a failed pick-off attempt. Heyduk continued his incredible day with another single, moving Yore to third, putting the championship-winning run just 90 feet from the plate with still no outs on the board. Scranton would employ their own tactical intentional walk, putting Lance Book at first to set up a chance to get outs at any base. But those outs would never come, as Michael Mancuso came to the plate and made the threat pay off, lacing a single right back up the middle, getting his only hit of the game at the perfect time as SU walked-off Scranton too claim the 2023 Landmark Conference Baseball Championship. The River Hawks won a remarkable four games over the three-day tournament, beating number one seed Elizabethtown twice to knock them out and rebounding after losing to the Royals on Saturday to beat them twice on Sunday.

Tony Rossi earned tournament MVP honors after a stellar weekend saw him start all five games at third base, tally seven hits including two home runs and three doubles, with one home run and all three doubles coming in the championship games against Scranton. He also tallied four walks, two natural and two intentional, while picking up his 17^th stolen base of the season in game 1. He finishes the regular season as the team leader in batting average at .337, slugging at .605, runs scored at 44, hits at 58, RBIs at 44, doubles at 16, home runs at 10, and total bases at 104. His home run tally also ranks third in the conference.

The River Hawks have claimed their fourth Landmark title, their first since 2019. Having earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships, they'll only need to wait a few hours to find out their placement in the Region round bracket, as the selection show will be streamed Monday, May 15 at 12 pm on ncaa.com.

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--RIVER HAWKS--