SYRACUSE, NY – Junior Chris Edmondson (Johnson City, NY / Johnson City) connected for a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10th inning in game one and was 7-for-9 with five runs scored to lead Le Moyne to a 4-3, 10-3 doubleheader sweep of Bryant on Saturday. Le Moyne improves to 17-19 on the year while Bryant falls to 26-17.
In game one, Bryant posted the game's first run with an RBI single through the right side by Jordan English to plate catcher Jeff Vigures. Le Moyne responded in the bottom half of the second with a home run by Matt Marra (Brewerton, NY / Central Square) and an RBI double by freshman Dan Sisto (Liverpool, NY / CBA).
Bryant tied the game at 2-2 in the next inning on Pat McKenna's 11th home run of the season. A run on a passed ball in the fourth inning gave the Bulldogs a 3-2 lead. Le Moyne knotted the game up at 3-3 in the bottom of the sixth on an infield single by Sean Paino (Wappinger Falls, NY / Roy C. Ketcham).
Sophomore hurler Jeff Tardiff (Farmingham, MA / Farmingham) kept the Bulldogs at bay for the final five innings. Over nine innings of work, Tardiff scattered seven hits, struck out 10 and allowed only one earned run.
The Dolphins' best chance came in the bottom of the ninth as they loaded the bases, but Bulldogs reliever Mark Andrews struck out Brett Botsford (Baldwinsville, NY / Baldwinsville) and retired Matt Nandin (North Syracuse, NY / CNS) on a ground ball to get out of the jam.
After a scoreless extra-inning frame for Bryant, Edmondson greeted Andrews with a lead-off home run over the right field wall to secure the 4-3 victory. Luke Nellis (Fonda, NY / Fonda-Fultonville) picked up the win in relief for his third victory of the season.
In the nightcap, Le Moyne scored three in the first on back-to-back RBI doubles by Nandin and Paino. The Dolphins added one more in the bottom of the third on Edmondson's second home run of the afternoon. Three more in the fourth on home runs by Botsford and catcher Chris Haynes (Manlius, NY / Fayetteville-Manlius) pushed the Dolphin lead to 7-0.
That would be all that sophomore lefty Cory Nelson (Manlius, NY / Fayetteville-Manlius) would need. After retiring the Bulldogs in order for the first four innings, Bryant loaded the bases with no outs on a pair of infield singles and a walk. Nelson held Bryant to only one run after recording a double play and a ground out. Nelson pitched into the seventh inning, allowed five hits and recorded six strikeouts for his fourth win of the season.
Le Moyne and Bryant meet again on Sunday, April 26th for a doubleheader to close out their four-game series. First pitch at Dick Rockwell Field is set for noon.
