Cary, N.C. – The Le Moyne College men's baseball team earned their first win of the season in North Carolina on Saturday afternoon with a 16-0 victory against Mercy College.

Jacob Marshall (Baldwinsville, N.Y./C.W. Baker) began the game on the mound for the Dolphins, and during his first career start the junior right-hander delivered a gem. Marshall pitched 7.0 scoreless innings to earn the win against Mercy, recording eight strikeouts while giving up just three hits.

Derrick Miller (Westernville, N.Y./Rome Free Academy/Hudson Valley C.C.), Michael Smith (Montebello, N.Y./Suffern), and Ty Syta (Hamburg, N.Y./St. Francis) each drove in three runs for Le Moyne during the victory, and catcher Drew Fureno (Canajoharie, N.Y./Fort Plain) went 3-4 at the plate and scored twice. Syta also recorded three hits and crossed the plate twice.
During the top of the first inning, junior center fielder Zach Brush (New York Mills, N.Y./Utica Notre Dame) drew a walk, then stole second base. The Mercy catcher tried to throw Brush out, but the ball was late, high and flew into the outfield, allowing Brush to take third base with nobody out. Senior shortstop Nick Nevins (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) walked to put runners on first and third. With one out in the top of the first, Syta smashed the ball into the outfield between the right fielder and the foul line, knocking in Brush for the first run of the game. Nevins scored on a balk, then Syta crossed the plate via a Miller sacrifice fly to deep center field to clear the bases and make 3-0 in favor of the Dolphins. Smith stepped to the plate and ripped a single into right field, sophomore left fielder Jason Boule (Syracuse, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy (Syracuse)) was hit by a pitch and freshman Andrew Woodward (Holmdel, N.Y./Holmdel) drew a walk to load the bases. Fureno worked the count full and drove the ball to center, but it was caught to end the inning.

The Mavericks recorded two of their three total hits off Marshall during the first inning. The leadoff batter singled to center field, but Fureno threw him out at second base attempting to steal a bag.
Marshall struck out the next batter, allowed another single, then got a ground out to second base to end the inning.

Mercy pitcher Scott Scheppy entered the game and got things under control for the Mavericks, keeping the Dolphins scoreless during the top of the second and third innings.

Marshall recorded a 1-2-3 inning during the bottom of the 3^rd, and the 'Phins put four more runs on the board in the top of the 4^th.

Woodward led off the inning with a single into right field, then Fureno singled to left and Brush singled to right field to load the bases with zero outs. Senior third baseman Drew Carroll (Clifton Park, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy (Albany)) stepped to the plate and doubled into left field, driving in Woodward and Fureno and advancing Brush to third base. Down 5-0 in the top of the 4^th with zero outs and Syta at the plate, the Mavericks moved their infield in to try and stop any more runs from crossing the plate. Syta hit the ball hard on the ground up the middle between the second basemen and the bag to drive in Carroll and Brush, making it 7-0 Le Moyne.

Marshall allowed just one Mercy runner on base during the bottom of the 4^th, 5^th and 6^th innings combined.

Brush hit a slow roller to second base and beat the throw to the bag for a single which drove in Boule during the top of the 7^th to extend Le Moyne's lead to 8-0.

Marshall was still going strong in the bottom of the 7^th, recording his sixth and seventh strikeouts of the game for his first two outs of the frame. After walking his second batter of the inning, Le Moyne head coach Scott Cassidy '98 walked out to the mound for a meeting with his pitcher. The talk was brief, and Cassidy walked back to the dugout with the ball still in Marshall's hand.
Clearly facing his last batter of the game, Marshall emptied the tank and recorded his third strikeout of the inning, leaving both runners on base.

Miller singled to left field during the top of the 8^th to drive in Nevins, and Smith knocked in Syta with a ground ball to the right side of the infield, making it 10-0 Le Moyne midway through the 8^th inning.

Sophomore Matt Tarby (Liverpool, N.Y./Bishop Grimes) took over for Marshall on the mound for the 8^th and 9^th innings and completed the shutout.

Le Moyne tacked on six more runs in the top of the 9^th inning. Smith, Miller, Nevins, and junior Philip Zollo (Syracuse, N.Y./Westhill) each recorded an RBI during the final inning.

The Le Moyne College baseball team will complete their opening weekend trip to North Carolina with another matchup against the Mercy College Mavericks tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. EST.