Worcester, Mass. – Redshirt junior first baseman/designated hitter Andrew Taft (Clinton, N.Y./Clinton) drove in five runs to lead the 20th-ranked Le Moyne College baseball team to a 15-4 win over Assumption College in Northeast-10 Conference action on Saturday afternoon at Rocheleau Field. The Dolphins rallied in the ninth inning for a 6-6 tie in the nightcap before the game was called due to darkness.

The Dolphins opened the day's scoring with four runs in the first inning on two hits and one Assumption error. Senior right fielder/first baseman Brian Cox (North Kingstown, R.I./North Kingstown) walked to open the game and then stole second. Taft then walked and junior designated hitter/first baseman Nick Place (Towanda, Pa./Towanda) followed by reaching on a throwing error by the pitcher, which allowed Cox to score. After a walk by redshirt junior shortstop Ben Walsh (Syracuse, N.Y./Westhill) to load the bases, junior catcher Camillo Spinoso (Syracuse, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy/George Washington) doubled to left field to drive in Taft, Place and Walsh.

Le Moyne blew the game open with seven runs in the sixth inning on four hits and one error. Sophomore third baseman Nicholas Jacques (Ballston Lake, N.Y./Shenendehowa) reached second on a fielding error by the third baseman to start the frame. After a fly out and walks by redshirt freshman second baseman Brian O'Mara (Syracuse, N.Y./Westhill) and Cox to load the bases, Taft blasted a grand slam to right center. The homer marked the conference-best 11th of the season for Taft. Following a pop out, Walsh singled to center and Spinoso walked to force a pitching change. After the new pitching walked senior center fielder/left fielder JT Pittman (Ashland, Mass./Ashland/Bridgton Academy) to load the bases again, Jacques singled through the left side to knock in Walsh and Spinoso. Senior pinch-hitter/center fielder Timothy Corapi (Liverpool, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy) then singled to left field to plate Pittman.

The Greyhounds broke through with two runs in the bottom of the sixth. Left fielder Trevor McQuade led off with a double to center and came around to score on a one-out double to left by catcher Andrew Jaehnig. After center fielder Quinn Moynihan singled to left to advance Jaehnig to third, first baseman Jake Byrne singled to left to plate Jaehnig.

The Dolphins added four runs in the ninth on one hit and two Assumption errors. Corapi walked and O'Mara reached on a dropped fly ball by the right fielder to start the inning. Cox followed with a double to right to drive in Corapi, while Taft then grounded out to third to plate O'Mara and advance Cox to third. Freshman pinch-hitter Jeff Wilson (Rochester, N.Y./Greece-Odyssey) then drove in Cox by reaching on another dropped fly ball by the right fielder. Walsh and junior pinch-hitter/right fielder David DiNorcia (Naples, Fla./Seacrest Country Day) drew consecutive walks to load the bases. Wilson then scored as freshman pinch-hitter/left fielder Nick Spinella (Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) grounded out to the first baseman.

Assumption plated a pair of runs on two hits in the bottom of the ninth. Right fielder Kevin Quinlivan led off with a single to right field and scored on a two-out, two-run homer to right center by McQuade.

Junior righty Josiah Gray (New Rochelle, N.Y./New Rochelle) improved to 7-0 on the season after striking out seven batters over six innings, while yielding two runs on five hits without walking a batter. Sophomore Nathan Carroll (Jamesville, N.Y./Fabius-Pompey) earned his second save of the season after striking out four over the final three innings. Cox and Walsh each finished the contest with a pair of hits, while Cox scored three times and Walsh and Taft each scored twice. Kyle Chudoba took the loss after allowing 10 runs (six earned) over five and two-thirds innings.

Assumption got the scoring started in the nightcap with three runs on two hits and one Le Moyne error in the third inning. Second baseman Jared Brescia and catcher Derek Adamson recorded singles around a fly out and then moved up a base each on a wild pitch. Jaehnig then reached on a fielding error to drive in Brescia. After a walk by Moynihan to load the bases and an out, shortstop Hunter Tralli and Quinlivan drew consecutive walks, which forced in Adamson and Jaehnig.

The Dolphins cut into their deficit with a run in the fourth on two hits. Walsh doubled to left with one out and came around to score on a double to right by Spinoso.

Le Moyne evened the score at three apiece in the fifth on two hits and one error. Freshman second baseman Michael Smith (Montebello, N.Y./Suffern) reached on a fielding error by the first baseman and redshirt junior catcher Matt Buroni (Marlborough, Mass./Marlborough) singled through the left side to start the inning. After a sac bunt by Corapi, Cox singled to center to plate Smith and Buroni.

Assumption regained the lead with three runs on four hits in the seventh. Byrne led off with single to left, moved to second on a sac bunt, took third on a wild pitch and scored on a double to left center by Quinlivan. Third baseman Dillon Koster singled and McQuade walked around a groundout to load the bases and force a Le Moyne pitching change. Adamson then doubled to right center to drive in Quinlivan and Koster.

The Dolphins took advantage of three Assumption errors in the top of the ninth to tie the score at six. Buroni led off with a single to left and was replaced at first by freshman pinch-runner/catcher Drew Fureno (Canajoharie, N.Y./Fort Plain), who then advanced to second on a passed ball. After a pair of outs and a walk by Taft, Place reached on a throwing error by the third baseman, which allowed Fureno to score. Walsh then reached on a fielding error by the shortstop, which allowed Taft and pinch-runner DiNorcia to score and tie the game.

After the Greyhounds went down in order in the bottom of the ninth, the game was called due to darkness.

Le Moyne (21-6-1, 7-0-1 NE10), which is unbeaten in conference action through eight games for the first time since 2004 (8-0), visits Merrimack College on Saturday at 12:00 p.m.