Game 1 Box Score  Game 2 Box Score

ANNVILLE, Pa. – Lebanon Valley won on its last at-bat in back-to-back games, and the Flying Dutchmen rallied in both games to sweep the University of Scranton in a non-conference baseball doubleheader Sunday afternoon at a rain-soaked McGill Park.

The Dutchmen erased a 5-1 deficit in first game before sophomore Brandon Thompson ripped a walk-off single in the bottom of the eighth, giving the Valley a 7-6 victory. Then in the nightcap, Scranton led 3-0 and 4-3 heading into the bottom of the seventh before the Dutchmen rallied with two runs en route to a 5-4 win. With runners on second and third, freshman Grant Wiest lofted a a high fly ball that was dropped by the leftfielder, allowing the winning run to score.

Sophomore Jimmy Luchansky threw a three-up, three-down eighth to record the win in the first game before classmate Kyle Caruthers fired three innings of relief to earn the victory in Game Two.

The twinbill was played through a steady rain at times, and there was a drizzle for most of the afternoon.

In the first game, sophomore starter Andrew Pipkin twirled five shutout innings and left the contest with Lebanon Valley (4-13) holding a 1-0 lead. But that’s when Scranton (5-11) erupted for five runs on five hits against Wiest, who entered the game in the sixth.

Pipkin’s counterpart, Charles Comprelli, also pitched five strong innings before Scranton reliever Tim Reiser ran into trouble in the bottom of the fifth. After singles by junior Chris Schank and Wiest, freshman Joe Soupik and junior pinch-hitter John Mentzer drilled back-to-back RBI-doubles. Mentzer’s two-bagger scored a pair of runs to make it 5-4.

The Royals tacked on a run in the seventh against reliever Devin Schneider, but the Dutchmen answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame to send it into extra innings. Senior Dan Kelly got things going with a double off the leftfield wall against reliever Kyle Fox, and after a wild pitch, he scored on a single from freshman Joe Kopchick. Two batters later, junior Corey Lamoureux tied the game with a double down the leftfield line.

After Luchansky retired the Royals in order in the top of the eighth, Mentzer roped a single up the middle to lead off the bottom of the inning. Reliever Kevin McGrath was then summoned from the bullpen, and Mentzer stole second before Thompson’s game-winning hit down the leftfield line.

Pipkin limited Scranton to four hits while walking one and striking out two. Luchansky (1-0) struck out one en route to his first collegiate victory.

Thompson, Schank, and Wiest all had two hits for LVC in the opener.

Luchansky got the nod to start Game Two on the mound, and he blanked the Royals over the first two innings before the visitors got on the scoreboard with two runs on two hits, making it 2-0. Scranton added another run against Luchansky in the fourth before the Dutchmen got their offense going in the bottom of the inning against Scranton starter Matt Michaylo.

Schank and Mentzer smacked back-to-back one-out singles before Wiest walked to load the bases. Two batters later, Kopchick delivered a two-run single to center, making it a one-run game (3-2).

Some daring baserunning from Kelly pulled the Dutchmen even in the bottom of the fifth. After reaching an error against reliever Ed McDonnell, Kelly stole second with senior Richie Schwartz at the plate. With Kelly running on the pitch, Schwartz rolled a routine grounder to short. Pausing briefly to allow a throw to first, Kelly sprinted home and just managed to slide under a relay throw to plate.

In the meantime, Caruthers worked out of trouble in the fifth and the sixth, inducing a ground-ball double play in each frame. The Royals loaded the bases with two outs in the sixth, but Caruthers got a fly-out to shallow right to end the inning, with Thompson racing out from second to make a nice catch.

Scranton finally reached Caruthers in the seventh. No. 2 hitter Kevin Johnson led off with a walk and was sacrificed to second before Chris Psihoules drove him in with a double down the righfield line to give the Royals a 4-3 lead. But Caruthers kept it a one-run game by getting a flyout and groundout.

Kelly made things happen on the bases once again leading off the seventh. After falling behind in the count 0-2, he worked McDonnell for a walk. After stealing second, Schwartz laid a perfect bunt down the third base line, and Kelly accelerated around third to score without a throw home, as the throw to first was in the dirt and kicked away from the first baseman.

A passed ball put Schwartz on second, and Schank sacrificed him to third. After Mentzer was intentionally walked, Wiest launched his game-ending sac fly, which was deep enough to likely score the winning run had it not been dropped.

Caruthers (1-2) scattered four hits and two walks to pick up his first win of the season. Luchansky yielded five hits and two walks while striking out two.

Michaylo surrendered two runs on five hits and two walks in four innings pitched before McDonnell (1-3) was touched for three runs (one earned) on two hits and four walks.

Lebanon Valley continues its four-game homestand on Tuesday, when it hosts York (Pa.) College at 3:30 p.m. in a non-conference outing.

[Photo - Sophomore Kyle Caruthers]

-lvc-