Springfield, Mass. – The Le Moyne College baseball team held on to defeat American International College, 6-3, on Wednesday afternoon at AIC Park in a game that was started in Syracuse on April 10, but halted after four innings due to rain. In the day's regularly scheduled game, the Yellow Jackets rallied for a 6-5 win in Northeast-10 Conference Southwest Division play.

In the halted game, the Dolphins jumped in front of the Yellow Jackets in Syracuse with three runs on three hits and an AIC error in the second inning. Senior third baseman Zack Wiley (Toluca Woods, Calif./Crespi) reached on a throwing error by the shortstop to open the frame, stole second and took third on a wild pitch. Senior right fielder Kody O'Connor (Mexico, N.Y./Mexico) then blasted a two-run home run down the left field line. After a groundout, senior catcher Brian Stinson (Binghamton, N.Y./Chenango Valley) reached on a broken-bat single down the third base line and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Freshman shortstop Dylan Swetman (Honeoye Falls, N.Y./Honeoye Falls-Lima) followed by lacing a ball through the pitcher's legs to drive in Stinson.

Two innings after play resumed in Springfield, the Dolphins scored twice on two hits in the bottom of the sixth inning. Junior center fielder Pat Wiese (Fayetteville, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy) singled to left center with one out and then stole second base. Wiley then doubled down the left field line to plate Wiese. After Wiley stole third, he scored on a failed pickoff attempt by the pitcher.

Le Moyne pushed its lead to 6-0 in the bottom of the seventh inning on one hit and an American International error. With two outs and Swetman on first following a one-out single through the left side, graduate student designated hitter Matthew Ciraco (White Plains, N.Y./Perkiomen School) reached on a dropped fly ball by the center fielder, which allowed Swetman to score.

The Yellow Jackets got on the scoreboard in the top of the eighth with one run on two hits. After left fielder Dan Asselin led off with a ground-rule double to left field, shortstop Eddie Ritch singled to left field to plate Asselin.

American International added two runs on two hits in the top of the ninth inning to set the final score. After right fielder David Kerlejza singled to left field with two outs, Asselin blasted a two-run home run.

Sophomore Zach Place (Towanda, Pa./Towanda/Susquehanna) earned the win for the Dolphins after striking out seven batters over the five innings played in Springfield, while yielding three runs on six hits. O'Connor and Swetman each finished with two of Le Moyne's seven hits. Daniel Guerrero took the loss after allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits over the four innings played in Syracuse.

After four scoreless innings to start the regularly scheduled game, the Dolphins took the lead in the top of the fifth on a solo home run by Stinson.

American International answered with a run on one hit in the bottom of the frame. Ritch drew a walk on six pitches to open the frame and moved to third on a one-out single up the middle by third baseman/shortstop Cam MacDonald. Designated hitter Lucas Vallas then lifted a sacrifice fly to left field to drive in Ritch. The run was the first allowed by the Dolphins in a program-record 45 innings, a span covering parts of six games.

Le Moyne regained the lead in the top of the sixth inning with three runs on three hits and two AIC errors. Graduate student shortstop Ryan Mahoney (Clay, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) singled up the middle to start the frame and then advanced to second as O'Connor reached on a fielding error by the pitcher. After Mahoney and O'Connor moved up a base on a wild pitch, Wiley doubled up the middle to knock in Mahoney. Following a pair of outs, O'Connor scored from third on a passed ball. Wiley then scored on a single up the middle by Stinson.

The Yellow Jackets cut their deficit to 4-2 in the bottom of the seventh with a run on two hits and a Le Moyne error. Kerlejza singled up the middle to start the inning and moved to second on a sac bunt by Ritch. After Kerlejza took third on a single to right by center fielder Dave Clark, he scored as MacDonald reached on a fielding error by the third baseman.

The Dolphins got the run back on one hit and an AIC error in the eighth inning. Wiley singled up the middle, stole second and then moved to third as senior first baseman Paul Speicher (Shrewsbury, Mass./Shrewsbury) reached on a fielding error by the shortstop. After an AIC pitching change and a pop out, Wiley scored as Speicher was caught stealing second.

American International tied the score at five apiece in the bottom of the eighth with three runs on four hits. After Asselin singled to left and second baseman Zach Kane reached on a bunt single, catcher Dan Fenton doubled to left center to drive in Asselin and Kane. Following a strikeout and a walk, Clark singled through the left side to knock in Fenton.

The Yellow Jackets won the game in the bottom of the ninth inning without getting a hit. Vallas drew a walk on seven pitches to open the inning and advanced to second with one out on a failed pickoff attempt by the pitcher. Asselin then struck out, but reached first as the first baseman couldn't handle the throw from the catcher, which allowed Vallas to advance to third, where he was replaced by pinch-runner A.J. Hall. As the Dolphins unsuccessfully tried to turn a double play at second base on a ground ball to the second baseman by Zane, Hall scored the winning run.

Sophomore John Mildner (Newton, Mass./Catholic Memorial/UMass) was tagged with the loss after yielding an unearned run in one and one-third innings out of the bullpen, while striking out a pair. Wiese, Wiley and Stinson each had two of Le Moyne's seven hits. Geoff McCowat earned the win for the Yellow Jackets by tossing two hitless innings out of the bullpen.

Le Moyne (18-20, 11-9 NE-10, 9-5 SW), which had its season-best five-game win streak snapped, returns to action on Saturday at Pace University at 12:00 p.m. The Dolphins enter the three-game series one game behind the Setters for first place in the Southwest Division with seven division games remaining.