SCRANTON, Pa. – The Albright Lions baseball team (1-0) rallied for two runs in the top of the seventh and held on for a 3-2 victory over the Scranton Royals (0-1) in the 2019 season opener on Saturday afternoon at Volpe Field in Scranton.

Junior Jakob Fry led off the seventh with a double and pinch-runner Lew Meringo scored on freshman Josh Jacavage's game-tying RBI double. Senior Kyle Gantert pinch ran for Jacavage, moved to third on a sac bunt and scored on Logan Pennypacker's sac fly to give the Lions the lead.

Scranton put the tying run on to start the bottom of the ninth, but freshman RHP Willie Kimmel III worked his way out of the inning and fanned pinch-hitter Ben Grochowski to end it.

Kimmel III allowed one hit and fanned one over three innings of work to notch the save. LHP Daron Pijanowski came on in relief of starter Will Tokarski and got the final out of the sixth inning to record the win for Albright.

LHP Kyle Bravin was dealt the loss for the Royals after allowing all three runs on three hits to go along with a walk and a strikeout in 1 1/3 IP.

The game was scoreless until the bottom of the fifth when Scranton started the inning with back-to-back singles and Kevin Johnson laid down a sac bunt with runners at the corners to bring home the game's first run. Albright would strike right back however as senior Jeff Yordy tied the game in the top of the sixth with a solo shot down the left field line.

In the home half of the sixth, Scranton's Ian McIntosh reached on a fielder's choice, stole second and scored on Anthony Lambroia's two-out RBI single to give the Royals the lead temporarily.

Tokarski received a no-decision for the Lions after giving up two runs on five hits while walking and fanning a pair over 5 2/3 IP.

Albright is back in action tomorrow at 12 p.m. when they will battle Dickinson in a doubleheader at the Maple Zone Sports Complex in Aston, Pa.