Lions Off To Hot Start, Sweep Orange County DH

Branchburg, NJ – Last Sunday Raritan Valley Community College baseball swept SUNY Orange County in a doubleheader. In the first game sophomore Dylan Seel pitched a complete game. After giving up a leadoff homerun and two runs in the top of the first Seel settled in and allowed six hits and two runs (one earned) while striking out three and walking two. He improved to 2-0 on the season. The bottom of the lineup helped the Lions capture a 6-2 victory over the Colts. Sophomore Eric Knapp, freshman Dovid Solomon and freshman Artis Ray combined for five of the team's ten hits in the victory. They scored three runs and drove in one.

After going down by two early in the game the Lions tied the game in the bottom of the second on a double by sophomore Parker Muratore. The Lions took the lead in the third after freshman Tyler Giordano singled in one run. In the bottom of the fifth sophomore Mike Izzo hit a solo home run to left field, his second of the year.

The Lions were victorious in the second game of the doubleheader, this time 8-5. The Lions were down 3-0 entering the bottom of the third. Freshman Bryce Pantozzi came off the bench and started the Lions eight run inning with a single to left field. He would then move up to second on a wild pitch, steal third and get up to score on a throwing error by the catcher. A few batters later a single by Tyler Giordano would score two runs and tie the game at three. After the next two Lions reached based freshman Anthony Saniscalchi hit an inside-the-park three run home run to deep center field to take a 6-3 lead. After Eric Knapp doubled to right field, the lineup would flip, and Bryce Pantozzi came to the plate for the second time in the inning and hit a laser of a homerun to right field to extend the lead.

Freshman Adam Gross earned the win for Raritan Valley. The righty surrendered five hits and three runs over four innings, striking out six and giving up no free passes. Sophomore Cristian Morel and Dovid Solomon each pitched in relief. Solomon collected the save.

The Lions' next two games, against Eastern University JV and Union County CC, have each been postponed. The Lions will be back in action on Friday March 15th as they travel to the County College of Morris for their first Region XIX DII Conference games of the season.