Syracuse, N.Y. – Eight of the nine starters scored at least two runs as the Le Moyne College baseball team defeated The College of Saint Rose, 18-11, on Tuesday afternoon in a rain-shortened, seven-inning Northeast-10 Conference Southwest Division match-up at Dick Rockwell Field. The second game of the scheduled doubleheader was not played and will be made up later this week.
Following two scoreless innings to start the game, the Golden Knights scored seven times over the third and fourth innings. Center fielder Derek Reed doubled to left center to open the third and then came around to score on a double down the right field line by designated hitter Nick Venier. Right fielder Scott Hladik followed with a home run to left field for a 3-0 lead. After a pair of fly outs around a walk by left fielder Chad Adams, third baseman Tyler Ungerland launched a home run to left field.
In the fourth inning, Saint Rose added two runs on four hits. Shortstop Mike Flynn led off with a double down the left field line and then moved to third on a groundout. After a strikeout, Hladik singled to center to plate Flynn. Following a single through the right side by first baseman Zac Bellinger, Adams singled through the right side to drive in Hladik.
The Dolphins exploded for seven runs on three hits in the bottom of the fourth to knot the score at seven. Freshman center fielder Donato DiNorcia (Naples, Fla./Seacrest Country Day) and sophomore shortstop Dylan Swetman (Honeoye Falls, N.Y./Honeoye Falls-Lima) drew walks to open the frame and then freshman catcher Matt Buroni (Marlborough, Mass./Marlborough) was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Junior third baseman Max Nagelsmith (Duanesburg, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy-Albany) then worked a walk to plate DiNorcia and force a Saint Rose pitching change. Junior right fielder Jeremy Mathers (Syracuse, N.Y./Henninger/Onondaga C.C.) greeted Mack Naughton with a single up the middle to knock in Swetman, while Buroni then raced home on a wild pitch. Sophomore second baseman Brett Charbonneau (Baldwinsville, N.Y./C.W. Baker) followed with a single down the left field line to knock in Nagelsmith and Mathers. After a pair of outs, senior left fielder Nate Reynolds (Johnson City, N.Y./Maine-Endwell) mashed a two-run home run well over the fence in left field to tie the game.
Saint Rose regained the lead in the top of the fifth with three runs on four hits and one Le Moyne error. Ungerland and second baseman Ryan Hooker opened the inning with infield singles. Following two outs and a hit batsman to load the bases and force a Le Moyne pitching change, Hladik reached on a bloop single in front of the shortstop to drive in Ungerland, while Hooker scored on a throwing error by the shortstop. Bellinger then singled up the middle to knock in Venier.
Le Moyne answered back with five runs on four hits and one Saint Rose error in the bottom of the inning to take the lead. Swetman reached on a bunt single down the third baseline to open the inning and then Buroni drew a walk. After Buroni was retired at second as Nagelsmith reached on a fielder's choice, Mathers singled up the middle to knock in Swetman, while Nagelsmith advanced to third on a throwing error by the shortstop. Charbonneau then doubled to right field to drive in Nagelsmith and Mathers with the tying run. After a Saint Rose pitching change, sophomore first baseman Pat Wright (Liverpool, N.Y./Liverpool) was hit by a pitch and sophomore designated hitter Trey West (Fairport, N.Y./McQuaid Jesuit) singled through the right side to load the bases. Reynolds was then hit by a pitch to force in Charbonneau. Wright pushed Le Moyne's lead to 12-10 by scoring on a groundout by DiNorcia.
After neither team scored in the sixth inning, the Golden Knights cut their deficit to one run on the top of the seventh on two hits. Following a two-out single to left center by Hladik, Bellinger doubled down the right field line to plate Hladik.
The Dolphins blew the game open with six runs on three hits and a Saint Rose error in the bottom of the seventh. Charbonneau reached on catcher's interference to open the frame and then West and Reynolds drew one-out walks to load the bases. DiNorcia followed with a single to the second baseman to knock in Charbonneau. Swetman then singled through the left side to drive in West and Reynolds. After DiNorcia and Swetman moved up a base on a wild pitch, Buroni doubled down the right field to plate the duo and force another Saint Rose pitching change. Buroni scored the game's final run on a wild pitch with two outs.
Junior righty Conor Nolan (Syracuse, N.Y./Corcoran) earned the win out of the bullpen after tossing the final two and one-third innings, while yielding one run on four hits. Swetman finished the game with three hits and three runs scored, while driving in two. Mathers and Charbonneau each had two hits and two runs at the top of the order, while Mathers knocked in two and Charbonneau had four RBI.
Bryan Carr dropped to 0-7 on the season after giving up four runs on three hits and a walk in just one-third of an inning. Hladik had a game-high four hits, drove in four runs and scored three times.
Le Moyne (16-21, 10-8 NE-10, 7-7 SW) is scheduled to be back in action on Friday against American International College at Dick Rockwell Field at 3:00 p.m. With four games remaining (3 AIC, 1 Saint Rose), the Dolphins need two victories to clinch a spot in the Northeast-10 Conference Championships and are still mathematically alive to grab the top seed in the Southwest Division.
