New Haven, Conn. – Senior southpaw Mark Kuzma (Waverly, N.Y./Waverly) struck out six batters over seven innings on the mound to lead the #16/20 Le Moyne College baseball team to a Northeast-10 Conference Southwest Division doubleheader split with Southern Connecticut State on Saturday afternoon at the Ballpark at SCSU. The Owls won the opening game, 7-2, while the Dolphins posted a 7-4 victory in the nightcap.
Southern Connecticut, the defending East Region champion, got on the scoreboard first with two runs on one hit in the first inning of the opening game. Shortstop Sam Greenberg led off the game by drawing a walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. After a two-out walk by first baseman Ryan Geffert, right fielder Bryan Dorsey doubled to center field to drive in Greenberg and Geffert.
The Dolphins got one run back in the top of the third on two hits. Senior center fielder Brett Botsford (Baldwinsville, N.Y./C.W. Baker) singled to left with one out and proceeded to steal second. Junior right fielder Zack Wiley (Toluca Woods, Calif./Crespi) followed with a single to left to drive in Botsford.
The Owls extended their lead with three runs on three hits in the bottom of the fourth. Dorsey led off with a single to center, but was retired at second as center fielder Michael Cleary reached on a fielder's choice. After left fielder Peter Testa walked with two outs and Cleary and Testa stole third and second, respectively, catcher Greg Pacelli tripled to knock in Cleary and Testa. Greenberg then reached on a bunt single to drive in Pacelli.
Southern Connecticut added a run in the bottom of the fifth on two hits. Geffert doubled down the left field line with one out and came around to score on a two-out triple to right center by Cleary.
Le Moyne plated a run on three hits in the top of the sixth to get within 6-2. Junior shortstop Ryan Mahoney (Clay, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) singled to center to open the frame and then stole second. After an out, redshirt junior designated hitter Matthew Ciraco (White Plains, N.Y./Perkiomen School) singled back to the pitcher, with Mahoney advancing to third. After a Southern Connecticut pitching change, senior catcher Kyle Kalaka (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) singled to center to knock in Mahoney.
The Owls finished off the scoring in the game with a run on three hits in the bottom of the sixth. Pacelli singled to center with one out and moved to second on a two-out single to left by third baseman T.K. Kiernan. Second baseman Kyle Cummings then singled to left to drive in Pacelli.
Junior right-handed pitcher Derek Zielinski (Schenectady, N.Y./Colonie) suffered his first loss of the season after giving up seven runs on 10 hits over five and two-thirds innings pitched. Chris Zbin earned his fifth win of the year after striking out eight batters over five and one-third innings, while yielding two runs on six hits. Pat Egan earned his second save by tossing the final three and two-thirds innings.
In the nightcap, the Dolphins struck first with three runs on two hits in the third inning. Junior second baseman Vincent Redmond (Ithaca, N.Y./Lansing/Garrett College) and sophomore left fielder Nate Reynolds (Johnson City, N.Y./Maine-Endwell) drew consecutive walks to open the frame and moved up a base on a sacrifice bunt by Botsford. Wiley then doubled to right center to drive in Redmond and Reynolds. After Wiley stole third, he scored on a single to center by Mahoney.
The Owls got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth with a run on one hit and a Le Moyne error. Geffert led off the inning with a double down the left field line, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored as Dorsey reached on an error.
Le Moyne extended its lead with two runs on two hits and an Owls error in the fifth inning. Reynolds led off with a single to left center and advanced to third as Botsford reached on an error by the third baseman. Wiley then lifted a sacrifice fly to center to bring in Reynolds. Senior third baseman Matt Marra (Brewerton, N.Y./Central Square) followed with a single to right field to score Botsford from second.
The Dolphins completed their scoring in the game with two runs on two hits in the sixth inning. Junior first baseman Paul Speicher (Shrewsbury, Mass./Shrewsbury) opened the frame with a single to left and then stole second. Ciraco followed with a single to center to drive in Speicher. After Ciraco stole second and advanced to third on a ground out, he scored on a wild pitch.
Southern Connecticut scored three times on four hits in the bottom of the eighth inning, but could not get any closer. Cummings led off with a single through the left side and moved to second on an infield single by Geffert. After Cleary singled to left center with one out to load the bases, Testa tripled to right center to plate Cummings, Geffert and Cleary.
Kuzma allowed just one run on five hits to earn his third straight victory. Junior righty Kevin Carroll (Jamesville, N.Y./Fabius-Pompey) retired all three batters he faced in the ninth inning to pick up his sixth save. Rocco Cundari dropped to 4-4 on the year after giving up five runs (four earned) on five hits over four and one-third innings pitched.
Le Moyne (29-9-1, 14-5-1 NE-10, 9-3 SW), which had its five-game win streak snapped with the game one loss, wraps up the three-game series with the Owls on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.
