Pomona, N.Y. – Senior center fielder Brett Botsford (Baldwinsville, N.Y./C.W. Baker) went 3-for-3, walked four times, drove in four runs and scored twice to lead the #12/18-ranked Le Moyne College baseball team to a 15-6 win over St. Thomas Aquinas in non-conference action on Thursday afternoon at Provident Bank Park.
The Spartans started the scoring with two runs on three hits in the bottom of the first inning. With two outs, right fielder Joe Antenucci singled to center and catcher George Wargo singled to left field. Designated hitter Mike Russo then doubled to left field to drive in Antenucci and Wargo.
St. Thomas Aquinas added two runs on three hits in the second inning. Third baseman Stanley Susana led off with a single to center field and advanced to second on a single by left fielder Derek Hirsch. Following a sacrifice bunt, shortstop Frank Salerno singled to right center to plate Susana and Hirsch.
Le Moyne evened the score at four apiece in the top of the fourth inning with only one hit. Sophomore left fielder Pat Wiese (Fayetteville, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy-Syracuse) and senior catcher Kyle Kalaka (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) walked around a strikeout to open the inning, while junior second baseman Vincent Redmond (Ithaca, N.Y./Lansing/Garrett College) was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Botsford was then walked to force in Wiese. Kalaka and Redmond then both raced home on a wild pitch to make the score 4-3. Junior right fielder Zack Wiley (Toluca Woods, Calif./Crespi) followed with a single to center to plate Botsford with the tying run.
The Dolphins blew the game open with 11 runs on eight hits and two St. Thomas Aquinas errors in the top of the seventh inning. Senior designated hitter Matthew Ciraco (White Plains, N.Y./Perkiomen School) and Wiese walked to open the frame and force a pitching change. Following an out, Kalaka singled to right field to drive in Ciraco with the go-ahead run. After Redmond singled to the left side of the infield to load the bases, Botsford singled to center to plate Wiese and Kalaka. With the bases loaded again following a single by Wiley, senior third baseman Matt Marra (Brewerton, N.Y./Central Square) singled to center to knock in Redmond and force another pitching change. As Mahoney reached on a fielder's choice, Botsford scored as the catcher dropped a throw by the third baseman. After a pop out, Wiese walked for the second time in the inning to force home Wiley. Junior first baseman Paul Speicher (Shrewsbury, Mass./Shrewsbury) then reached on an error by the shortstop, which allowed Marra to score Le Moyne's seventh run of the inning. Kalaka picked up his second and third runs batted in of the frame with a single to right field to plate Mahoney and Wiese. Redmond then singled to right field to knock in Speicher and force the third pitching change of the inning. Botsford recorded his third RBI of the frame by driving in Kalaka with a single to left.
The Spartans got two of the runs back in the bottom of the inning on one hit and a Le Moyne error. With second baseman Efrain Bautista on third after reaching on a fielder's choice and Salerno at second after being hit by a pitch, center fielder Nicholas Babalato singled to drive in Bautista and Salerno.
Junior right-hander Casey Cannon (Manasquan, N.J./Saint Rose/U. of Delaware), the reigning Northeast-10 Conference pitcher of the week, earned his third win of the season after striking out a pair of batters, while yielding six runs (five earned) on eight hits over seven innings on the mound. Redmond joined Botsford in posting three hits, while Wiley, Speicher and Kalaka had two hits each. Tim Tedesco took the loss after giving up two runs on two hits and four walks over two innings out of the bullpen.
Le Moyne (21-6-1), which has won 10 of its 12 road games, returns to action on Saturday with a doubleheader at St. Michael's at 12:00 p.m.
