Syracuse, N.Y. – The Le Moyne College baseball team dropped a pair of games on Friday afternoon at the Northeast-10 Conference Championships to Merrimack College and Franklin Pierce University at Onondaga Community College. The Dolphins fell to Merrimack, 5-2, in winner's bracket game and then were defeated by Franklin Pierce in an elimination game.
The Dolphins conclude the season with a 24-25 record.
Merrimack got on the scoreboard first in the afternoon game with a run in the fourth inning. Shortstop Nick Shumski led off with a double to center field, moved to third on a fly out and scored on a sacrifice fly by designated hitter Matthew Ronai.
The Warriors added two runs in the sixth with just one hit. Center fielder Michael Jamele was hit by a pitch to start the inning and then third baseman Joey Porricelli drew a walk. Following a sacrifice bunt, first baseman Thomas Joyce doubled to center to drive in Jamele and Porricelli.
Merrimack completed its scoring with two more runs in the seventh. Left fielder Thomas Golankiewicz led off with a bunt single to third, but was retired at second as right fielder Thomas Crowley reached. Catcher Kurtis Stadnicki then reached on a dropped fly ball by the left fielder. Following a strikeout and a walk by Jamele to load the bases, Porricelli singled to left to drive in Crowley and Stadnicki.
Le Moyne plated two runs in the ninth inning to close within three. With two outs and a runner on first, redshirt senior first baseman
Andrew Taft (Clinton, N.Y./Clinton/Buffalo) smashed his East Region-best 15th home run of the season, the second-most homers by a Dolphin in the program's history (trailing only last year's 17).
Freshman lefty
Ryan DuBord (Old Saybrook, Conn./Old Saybrook) took the loss after going seven innings and striking out three, while yielding five runs (three earned). Timmy Kalantzakos improved to 7-2 on the season after going the distance on the mound, while striking out four.
Franklin Pierce opened the scoring in the elimination game with five runs in the first inning. Center fielder Joel Lara led off with a walk and advanced to third on a single through the right side by catcher Dylan Jones. After a walk to load the bases and two outs, third baseman Jethro Hurt singled to left field to drive in Jones. First baseman Jonel Ozuna followed with a single to left field to plate left fielder Brad Roberto, who walked. Second baseman Carmine Giordano then lifted a fly ball to left center that neither the left fielder nor center fielder attempted to catch, which allowed right fielder John Mead, Hurt and Ozuna to score.
The Ravens scored twice in the top of the fifth. Designated hitter Ural Forbes singled through the left side with one out and then Hurt walked to force a pitching change. After a foul out, Giordano tripled to right center to plate Forbes and Hurt.
Franklin Pierce scored five times in the sixth on five hits and one Le Moyne error. Jones was hit by a pitch with one out and then stole second. Roberto followed with a single up the middle to knock in Jones. After a foul out and a single by Forbes, Hurt singled to right center to drive in Roberto, while Forbes scored on a throwing error by the center. Ozuna then lined a triple over the center fielder's head to plate Hurt, while scoring on a single through the left side by Giordano.
The Dolphins avoided the shutout with a run in the bottom of the ninth. Following a two-out single up the middle by senior catcher
Camillo Spinoso (Syracuse, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy/George Washington), Taft doubled off the wall in center to drive in Spinoso.
Redshirt senior
Max Tessitore (Averill Park, N.Y./Averill Park) suffered the loss on the mound after allowing seven runs over four and one-third innings. Taft accounted for two of Le Moyne's five hits in the contest. Derek Duffy struck out eight in a complete-game performance to improve to 5-2 on the season.
