SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Senior shortstop Michael Affronti (Dix Hills, N.Y./Commack) hit a solo home run in the opener and a three-run shot in the nightcap as Le Moyne swept a MAAC doubleheader from Marist 3-1, 7-5 at Dick Rockwell Field. The league-leading Dolphins (32-12, 17-5 MAAC) have won 10 consecutive MAAC games and with the sweep have clinched a spot in the four-team MAAC Championship tournament.
Le Moyne used three solo home runs and another strong pitching performance to take the first game. After Pat Feeney (New City, N.Y./Clarkstown) doubled home the first run in the top of the sixth as Marist (21-27, 13-9 MAAC) to give Marist 1-0 lead, Affronti tied the game at one with a solo blast to left center. Junior centerfielder Ben Gaal (Manlius, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy) made it back-to-back home runs with a solo blast to center that made it 2-1. Gaal leads the Dolphins with 11 home runs this season. Freshman Mike Brown (Vestal, N.Y./Vestal) tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh with his first career home run.
Junior Bobby Blevins (Briarcliff, N.Y./Briarcliff) improved to 9-2 with a seven-strikeout performance in the opener. He allowed three hits and one run before giving way to senior southpaw A.J. Lindsey (Vestal, N.Y./Vestal). Lindsey struck out four and did not allow a hit over the final two and 1/3 innings for his seventh save of the season.
Senior first baseman Keith Connors (Jamesport, N.Y./Commack) led off the bottom of the first with a home run in game two, but Marist answered with five runs in the top of the third to take a 5-1 lead. Andy Kiriakedes (Great Barrington, Mass./Berkshire) hit a solo home run and Justin Lepore (Madison, Conn./Daniel Hand) highlighted the inning with a grand slam home run to right.
Le Moyne came back with five runs of its own in the bottom half of the third. Sophomore Stephen Crawford (Webster, N.Y./Finger Lakes CC) doubled home two runs and Affronti put the Dolphins up 6-5 with a towering three-run home run to left center.
Phil St. Amant (Brockport, N.Y./Brockport) knocked in an insurance run in the sixth. Connors, Andy Parrino (Brockport, N.Y./Brockport) and Jamie Rose (Hornell, N.Y./Hornell) had two hits each.
Despite allowing a season-high five runs, Le Moyne starter T.J. Sheridan (Syracuse, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy) struck out seven for his seventh win of the season. Ryan Woods (Jacksonville, Fla./Englewood) struck out two and did not allow a hit over the final two innings to equal Lindsey with his seventh save of the season.
Le Moyne's sweep clinches a spot in the four-team MAAC Championship which will be contested May 25-27 in Fishkill, N.Y. The Dolphins finish off their three-game series with Marist in a single nine-inning game on Sunday at noon.
