Syracuse, N.Y. – Senior Chris Edmondson (Johnson City, N.Y./Johnson City) and sophomore Brett Botsford (Baldwinsville, N.Y./C.W. Baker) each collected three hits to lead Le Moyne to a 6-5 victory over Canisius on Tuesday at Dick Rockwell Field. Le Moyne improves to 19-17 overall. The Griffs fall to 22-12 on the year after dropping their second one-run game of the season to the Dolphins.
Canisius got on the board first in the top half of the second inning. Le Moyne starter Erik Lambe (Vestal, N.Y./Vestal) struck out clean-up hitter Steve McQuail, but allowed him to reach on a wild pitch strike-three. Two more hit batters loaded the bases for centerfielder Perry Silverman who connected for a grand slam giving Canisius an early 4-0 advantage.
The Griffs added one more in the following inning as Drew Pettit singled home McQuail pushing the lead to 5-0.
The Dolphin bats came alive in the bottom of the third as Zack Wiley (Toluca Woods, Calif./Crespi) reached on a hit-by-pitch and Botsford singled through the left side. Edmondson connected for his program-leading 40th home run to pull the 'Phins to within two at 5-3. Senior Sean Paino (Wappinger Falls, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) would make it back-to-back home runs to trim the Canisius lead to 5-4 heading into the fourth inning.
Lambe, a sophomore right-hander, settled down after a bumpy second and third inning to silence the Griffs bats over the next four innings. On the afternoon, Lambe pitched seven strong innings, allowed six hits, five runs and struck out seven.
Le Moyne grabbed a 6-5 advantage in the bottom of the fourth as Botsford drove in two runs with a single through the right side to plate Kyle Kalaka (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) and Ryan Mahoney (Clay, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse).
Senior Luke Nellis (Fonda, N.Y./Fonda-Fultonville) would close the door over the next two innings to earn his third save of the season.
Le Moyne returns to action on Wednesday, April 14th as they travel to Cornell for a doubleheader beginning at 2:00 PM.
