SCRANTON, Pa.-- After falling, 3-7 to Scranton this afternoon the Elizabethtown baseball team bounced back against Catholic as they grabbed a 7-6 win to advance to the Landmark Conference Championship game tomorrow.
SCRANTON 7, ELIZABETHTOWN 3
The first four innings were scoreless between Scranton and Elizabethtown. Etown responded first in the bottom of the fifth.
Bryce Keller hit a lead off double down the line and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt. On a sacrifice fly, Keller scored. The Royals answered back in the sixth as they one upped the Blue Jays, taking a 2-1 lead. Scranton added one more in the eight before tacking on four in the ninth which extended their lead to 7-1. Elizabethtown scored two more in the ninth but it wasn't enough as they fell, 7-3 to Scranton.
Nicholas Ortega made the start on the mound, pitching 8.2 innings as he struck out five. Ortega also threw 150 pitches in the game.
ELIZABETHTOWN 7, CATHOLIC 6
Catholic struck first scoring one in the first and added three more in the second after the top of the second inning. Etown got back within one of the Cardinals after putting up three runs on four hits in the bottom of the second. Keller smacked his second career home run to left field for the Blue Jays first run. After reaching on an error,
Alex McClain was brought home with two singles to cut Catholic's lead.
Joe Limongelli reached first after hitting a single to center field and was sent home by
Mason Woolwine's single.
Elizabethtown took the 6-4 lead in the third after adding three more runs. Keller was at it again as he hit a RBI-single to right field, tying up the score at 4-4.
Riley Thomas laid down a bunt for a safe single and was able to score on a sacrifice fly to center field.
David Woolley recorded the final RBI of the inning for Etown as he brought in Keller. The two teams again tied as Catholic scored two runs on two hits in the fifth. In the fifth, Keller hit a lead off double and then advanced to third on McClain's single. On another Etown sacrifice fly, Keller went home to take the 7-6 lead which would ultimately be the final score.
Justin Marraccini came in at relief for Elizabethtown in the sixth as the struck out all three Cardinal batters for a quick inning. The sixth through ninth innings were scoreless as Elizabethtown was able to come up victorious and move on to Sunday's Landmark Conference Championship final.
Joey Smith earned the win on the mound for Etown while Zach Silfes earned his sixth save of the year while also recording his 200th career strikeout. Keller went 3 for 3 with three runs, two RBIs, a double and a home run.
Elizabethtown will face Scranton tomorrow, May 12 at 10:30am in the Landmark Conference Championship.
