Box Score | Video Highlights (Courtesy WHP TV-21)

GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Gettysburg ended the game on a 5-0 run and the 12th-ranked Bullets defeated the University of Scranton 8-3 in the first round of the NCAA Division III men's lacrosse tournament Wednesday afternoon at a sunny Shirk Field at Musselman Stadium.

With the win, Gettysburg (12-6) advances to the second round, where it faces the winner of tonight's game between Colorado College and Roanoke College on Saturday at time and location to be decided.

Senior #J.C. Ward and freshman Martin Manilla scored two goals apiece for the Bullets while senior Danno Lynch# added one goal and two assists, the first of which gave him 100 career points.

Sophomore #J.T. McCook# finished with 12 saves for Gettysburg, which posted its second-best defensive performance in the NCAA tournament in program history. The only time the Bullets allowed fewer goals was in an 18-2 victory over Cabrini College in the second round of the 2004 playoffs. Senior defenseman John Odierna tied a season-high with four ground balls, with his third putting him over 100 for his career.

Scranton (9-8), which was making its first NCAA tournament appearance in the program's 25-year history, received 14 saves from Ben Worthington while Patrick Cefalu won 10 of 15 face-offs.

The Royals scored the opening goal on a Daniel Slade tally with 5:26 left in the opening quarter, but the Bullets would not trail again after answering with a pair of goals. Manilla tied it with 1:49 remaining in the first quarter with a diving goal in front of the cage to make it 1-1 at the end of the opening period before senior Andrew Ryan put the hosts up 2-1 with his runner at the 12:25 mark of the second quarter.

The two teams then traded goals to make it a 3-2 game at the intermission. JP Barton pulled Scranton even when he converted a man-up goal with 11:48 remaining before Lynch scored the final goal of the half with 6:22 left.

Gus Sturm tied the game for the third time just over a minute into the second half, when he scored off a rebound in another man-up situation to make it 3-3. But that's when the Bullets embarked on their game-ending run, with Ward kicking it off with back-to-back tallies. He deposited a runner into the top shelf with 13:17 on the clock, then took a feed from Lynch before firing in a straightaway shot to put his team ahead 5-3 with 9:17 showing in the third quarter.

Gettysburg added a couple of insurance goals from a pair of freshmen in the fourth quarter. Henry Tesar converted an impressive turnaround shot with 10:43 left before Austin Dodson posted his second goal of the season off a dish from Lynch with 3:56 showing.

The Bullets outshot the Royals 31-26 while Scranton held a 25-23 edge in ground balls.