SCRANTON, PA - The Susquehanna baseball team overcame an early 2-0 hole at Scranton on Friday night by shutting the Royals out the rest of the way, while packing in a three-run fourth and two more in the seventh for a 5-2 win. The two teams will reconvene for Sunday's doubleheader as the River Hawks hold a two-game lead over Scranton for second place in the Landmark standings.
HOW IT WENT DOWN
- Two-time Landmark Pitcher of the Week Josh Domaracki started the game for Susquehanna in hopes of going 6-0 on the year. It started with some turbulence as Scranton took advantage of an early error to score the game's first run on a groundout. They later scored one in earnest when Hunter Petrich delivered an RBI single to lead 2-0 after one.
- Domaracki bounced back with six-plus innings of shutout ball and striking out seven.
- Susquehanna's lineup repaid Domaracki's efforts in the fourth as Michael Gagliardi got his first of three hits on the day to get SU in business. With the bases loaded Lucas Zachesky scored Gagliardi on an RBI single to cut the lead in half. Luke Goodwin came up to bat next and gave the River Hawks the lead with a two-RBI single.
- This ended Scranton starter Matt Scepkowski's day and while his successor Ryan Boyd escaped further damage to end the inning, Susquehanna came back to inflict more damage in the seventh.
- Michael Girardi got the River Hawks going in the seventh with a single, as did Dylan Heyduk. Gagliardi came through again in a big way by bringing them both home on a two-RBI double to lead 5-2.
- Domaracki kept up his pace keeping Scranton off the board in the seventh. He pitched the eighth and got the first two outs before Austin Ozarowski was called on to close the door.
- With one runner on the Royals sent up pinch hitter Jared Cassella, only for "Oz" to strike him out on three pitches.
- Despite a scoreless top of the ninth, Gagliardi offered another highlight with a two-out triple, putting him a homer shy of the cycle as he batted 3-for-5.
- Ozarowski got the final three outs to lock down the win, the last two on strikes.
- Zachesky also had a multi-hit game batting 2-for-4, while Susquehanna's remaining hits came from Goodwin, Heyduk, Girardi and Haussman as the team totaled nine hits to the Royals' eight with just one multi-base hit with a double.
UP NEXT FOR THE RIVER HAWKS
- Susquehanna and Scranton will resume their series on Sunday with a doubleheader starting at 12:30 p.m. This weekend's series was adjusted due to rain projected on Saturday.
- Currently the River Hawks stand in second place in the Landmark with a 14-7 record, two games in front of Scranton and Elizabethtown, both holding 12-9 league marks. Wilkes is in first with a 17-3 record.
- Susquehanna and Wilkes still have one more game to play to wrap up their regular season slate. Date to be determined.
