Scranton Lions Late Comeback Snaps Four Game Losing Skid

By: Ross Turetsky, Penn State Scranton Athletics

In a good Friday to kick-off Easter weekend home doubleheader vs. non-conference foe the Bryant & Stratton-Syracuse Bobcats, the Penn State Scranton Lions baseball squad in game one came storming back in thrilling fashion from trailing 8-4 in the seventh and final inning down to their final strike and once again down 9-8 with just one out left in the eighth frame to tie the contest and then win it with a walk-off steal of home from sophomore pinch runner Theodore Dunn to come out on top by a nail-biting 10-9 margin, and in the game two nightcap play was suspended in the top of the 5th inning due to darkness with the Lions up by a commanding 9-0 advantage and set to resume tomorrow afternoon. With the exciting comeback victory, the Lions from Scranton snap their mini four game losing streak, all in league play to rival Mont Alto, and improve their overall mark to 7-13 and 0-4 in crucial conference play.

In the opening match, after a scoreless first inning for both clubs, the scoring frenzy began in earnest, as Bryant & Stratton got on the scoreboard first with a run in the top half of the second before the Lions would roar right back with a robust four spot in the bottom of the second to seize a 4-1 advantage. However that lead would be short lived, as the Bobcats from Syracuse put up a four run outburst of their own in the top of third, tallied another score in the fourth, and added a couple of more for good measure in the sixth, to hold a sizeable 8-4 cushion heading into the final inning of play. After Scranton was held scoreless for four consecutive innings since their second inning scoring explosion, the dormant Lions offense came to life just in the nick of time, as they plated a quartet of runs in the seventh to tie things up at 8-8 and force extra innings, scored another run in the bottom of the eighth to lock things up again at 9-9, and finally in the ninth frame walked it off to seize the 10-9 home triumph and enjoy a celebratory team Gatorade shower at home plate. Overall the Bobcats out hit the Lions 14-10 in the game one battle.

Scranton had a hat trick of players put up stellar multi-hit performances in game one, as stand-out junior first baseman Alex Brinkman, junior center fielder Keegan Litts, and fellow junior, left fielder Jake Sullivan set the pace offensively for their ball club. Brinkman led the way going 3-5 at the plate and swiped a pair of bases during the festivities. Litts went 2-4 at the dish, drilling a nice double, drawing a walk, scored once, had an RBI, and stole a base to boot. Last but certainly not least, Sullivan also was 2-4, crushing a clutch RBI double to deep right field to keep the game alive down to his team’s final strike and tie things back up at 9-9 in the bottom of the eighth, to go along with a run scored, a stolen base, and a pair of RBI. The other trio of Lions base hits came off the bats of junior DH Logan Moss who went 1-3 and drove in a couple of runs, senior DH Guy Mushow who came off the bench to replace Moss late in the contest and go 1-2 at the plate, with a hard struck double down the left field line, and scored a run, and finally, sophomore Isaiah Alicea came off the bench and provided his team with the biggest hit of the day, as he smacked a pivotal seventh inning pinch hit three run double to deep center to clear the loaded bases and tie things up at 8-8 to send the showdown to extra innings when he was down to his final strike of the game.

Meanwhile, Bryant & Stratton had a whopping five players with top notch multi-hit ball games in the showdown, as sophomore third baseman Cristian Berroa, freshman catcher Victor Pena, freshman center fielder Tyler Webster, junior second baseman Tatsuya Enosawa, and sophomore left fielder Terrance Pree all had stalwart showings. Berroa led the way going 3-6 at the dish, scoring twice, and had an RBI. Pena was on base in all five of his plate appearances, as he went a perfect 2-2 at the plate, hammering a two run homer to left field in the top of the sixth, walked twice, got hit by a pitch, scored three times, cranked a double, and drove home two runs. Webster was 2-5 with a double, stole a pair of bases, drew a walk, and tallied a run. Enosawa also went 2-5, scored once, and had two RBI. Pree was 2-4 and had a walk. The Bobcats other three hits came from sophomore lefty DH Jostin Martinez-Disla who was 1-5 and scored a run, freshman shortstop Raul Mella Jr. went 1-3 and had an RBI, and senior first baseman Dylan Hodgeman was 1-4 with a double and knocked in a pair.

On the pitching side of things, junior right-hander Braden Savage toed the slab first for his Scranton squad and he took the no decision tossing the first 3 1/3 innings, surrendering six earned runs, eight hits, walked a couple, and struck out two batters in his outing. Next freshman southpaw reliever Mason Berresford came in from the bullpen and hurled 1 2/3 innings, allowing two earned runs, four hits, walked no one and fanned a hitter. Sophomore righty Joel Brennan was the Lions second pitcher out of the pen and he did exemplary work keeping his team in the ball game in his three innings pitched, giving up just one unearned run, no hits, walked a trio, and struck out two batters. Finally to wrap things up on the mound, flame throwing sophomore right-hander Michael Paciotti earned the victory in relief by throwing a scoreless ninth frame, surrendering a pair of base hits, walked no one, and fanned a couple of hitters in his strong outing out of the pen. Meanwhile, Bryant & Stratton started sophomore righty Colin Murphy on the hill and he was in line for the win before Scranton came back on the Bobcats relief pitchers in the late innings, as he hurled six commanding innings, allowing a quartet of runs, only three of them earned, six hits, walked five, and struck out four Scranton batters in the matinee. Righty side winding freshman reliever Grayson White struggled out of the bullpen in his two frames, giving up five earned runs on four base hits, walked two, and fanned a hitter. Next out of the pen was freshman right-hander Dencel Caraballo, as he took the loss in the pivotal walk-off bottom of the ninth inning for Scranton, as he only retired one batter, walked one, did not allow a hit, and gave up the winning run on the steal of home.

Veteran Penn State Scranton head baseball coach Collin Ferguson was proud of his team’s never quit attitude and how they kept fighting back in their triumphant comeback victory against the Bobcats from Syracuse. “It was definitely one of those situations where it really shouldn’t have gotten to that point but we did a good job coming back fighting, showing that we do remember how to win a ball game and it put some faith back into me knowing that these guys are going to fight for us. For Sullivan and Alicea’s clutch late game tying hits, those guys are big parts of this

team. I was hoping to give our catcher Isiah (Alicea) a little rest today, rest his legs a little bit, but I knew calling his number at the end and snap him out of a little slump he’s been in, it was huge for his confidence and to get him back rolling before we got some tough conference play coming up,” said coach Ferguson.

Now coach Ferguson and his 7-13 Penn State Scranton squad will look to continue to roll at home tomorrow for some Saturday baseball action starting back up at 12 noon when they resume their suspended second game of Friday’s doubleheader up big 9-0 in the top of the fifth inning, followed shortly afterwards by the scheduled single nine inning affair against the Bobcats. Head coach Rich Dessureau Jr.’s Bryant & Stratton ball club is now 1-11 on the season and 0-2 in league play heading into Saturday’s action in the electric city against the Lions.