New Haven, Conn. – The Le Moyne College baseball team earned a 6-0 win over the Southern Connecticut State University Owls on Tuesday during the Quarterfinals of the Northeast-10 Conference Championship to improve their record to 26-21 on the season. The Dolphins will now be one of four teams in the NE10 that get to compete in Championship Weekend which starts on Thursday and will be hosted by Assumption University, who defeated Franklin Pierce University in the first round of the tournament.

"It was a great team effort today. The pitching was outstanding and the offense came up big when we needed it. Jake Marshall showed why he is considered one of the best pitchers in the league and Jed Boyle showed some grit coming in the game in a big situation and slamming the door. We'll be looking to keep it rolling later this week," said Le Moyne Head Coach Scott Cassidy '98 after the game.

Championship weekend will play out with a double-elimination format, and the 'Phins will first meet the top seed in the Northeast Division of the conference, the top-10 nationally ranked Southern New Hampshire University Penmen, on Thursday.

In the one-game elimination matchup against the Owls on Tuesday, Cassidy gave the ball to junior right-handed starting pitcher Jacob Marshall (Baldwinsville, N.Y./C.W. Baker) who has been one of the most dominant arms in the NE10 this season. Marshall gave the 'Phins an outstanding postseason outing, conceding just two hits and zero runs in 6.0 innings of work before the Le Moyne bullpen took over and got the final nine outs to complete the shutout and secure the victory.

The contest between the #3 seed in the Southwest Division Le Moyne and the #2 seed in the division SCSU was a 0-0 pitcher's duel into the middle of the 7th inning when sophomore right-handed relief pitcher Matt Tarby (Liverpool, N.Y./Bishop Grimes) walked to the mound, signaling the end of the day for Marshall. Tarby pitched a clean bottom of the 7th, then Le Moyne took the lead in the top of the 8th, allowing Tarby to earn the pitching decision victory. Right-handed relief pitcher Jed Boyle (Syracuse, N.Y./Corcoran) got the 'Phins out of a jam in the 8th, then delivered a 1-2-3 bottom of the 9th to complete the shutout and send the Dolphins to Championship weekend.

Junior center fielder Zach Brush (New York Mills, N.Y./Utica Notre Dame) went 3-5 with an RBI and a run scored during the win, while graduate right fielder Michael Smith (Montebello, N.Y./Suffern) scored a run and provided a team-high two runs batted in. Jason Boule (Syracuse, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy (Syracuse)) was a catalyst for the 'Phins during the win, contributing two hits and a team-best two runs scored.

The combination of Marshall, Tarby and Boyle held the Owls to just four total hits during the nine-inning contest.

Brush ripped a single up the middle to lead off the top of the 1^st inning, then advanced to second base on a wild pitch. With a runner in scoring position and nobody out, Southern Connecticut State starting pitcher Steve Phillips recorded three consecutive outs to avoid conceding a run during the opening frame.

Derrick Miller (Westernville, N.Y./Rome Free Academy/Hudson Valley C.C.) ripped a two-out single into right field during the top of the 4^th to give Le Moyne their first baserunner of the inning, then Nick Nevins (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) was hit by a pitch, which moved Miller into scoring position. With two outs and runners on first and second, Phillips got a fly ball to end the inning and keep the game scoreless.

Marshall recorded just two walks during the contest, but both came with out in the bottom of the 5^th, putting men on first and second for the Owls, the first time Marshall allowed a runner in scoring position during the postseason battle. The 6'6" right-hander recorded a strikeout during the next at-bat, then got a fly ball to end the inning without conceding a run.

After a pitching change to start the top of the 8^th, Boule jumped on a pitch and ripped a single into left field to lead off the inning with a base hit.

Wyatt Patchett (Geneva, N.Y./Geneva) was hit by a pitch, then Brush hit a ground ball through the left side of the infield. Boule rounded third base on Brush's base knock and was waved home by Coach Cassidy. The throw to the plate was in time, but the catcher could not accept the throw cleanly, and Boule slid home safely to put the 'Phins on top, 1-0.

Brush and Patchett advanced to second and third base, respectively, during the next at-bat on a passed ball, then they both scored when Smith ripped a ground ball beyond the diving third baseman and down the left field line for a two-RBI base hit.

With zero outs still in the top of the 8^th, Miller laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners to second and third.

During the next at-bat, Nevins ripped a single through the left side which scored Carroll from third to make it 4-0, then the 'Phins scored their fifth and final run of the inning when Nick Hansen (Troy, N.Y./La Salle Institute/Hudson Valley C.C.) grounded into a fielder's choice that the Owls infield was unable to roll into a double play, allowing Smith to cross the plate and extend the lead to 5-0.

The Owls were understandably operating with a high sense of urgency in the bottom of the 8^th, trailing 5-0 in an elimination game, as Chad Fedeli and Tony Zambito each swung at the first pitch they saw, and both hit singles into the outfield to lead off the inning and put runners on first and third with zero outs.

At this point Cassidy brought in his 6'4" hard-throwing reliever Boyle, who leads the team in saves this season.

Zambito immediately stole second base to give the Owls two runners in scoring position with zero outs. To make the situation even more auspicious for SCSU, their second, third, and fourth hitters in the order were due up.

Against the two-hitter Billy Sullivan, Boyle fell behind 3-1, then threw a pitch that Sullivan fouled off to push the count full. Sullivan swung at the 3-2 pitch and popped it up to the right side which Carroll caught in the infield for the first out of the inning.

Facing one of the most dangerous bats in the conference next in graduate outfielder Andrew Eng, Boyle got ahead 0-2 in the count. Boyle threw a ball to make it 1-2, Eng fouled off two pitches to stay alive, then Boyle threw a nasty curveball which froze Eng and landed in the zone for a called strike three.

With two outs in the inning, Boyle attacked the Owls cleanup hitter and got a three-pitch strikeout to improbably end the inning without allowing a run.

After getting things started for Le Monye in the top of the 8^th inning, Boule led off the top of the 9^th inning for the Dolphins with a double down the left field line.

During the next at-bat, Patchett dropped down a bunt which went back to a newly inserted SCSU relief pitcher. Boule broke for third base on contact, but the ball flew to the edge of the mound, and Tommy Hughes thought he had a chance to get Boule at third. Hughes fielded the ball cleanly, and the throw was nearly in time, but Boule hustled to the bag and got under the tag to reach safely, putting runners on first and third with zero outs.

Brush hit a ground ball to the shortstop during the next at-bat, which resulted in a 6-4-3 double play, and at the same time drove in Boule from third base to extend Le Moyne's lead to 6-0.

Boyle retired the final three hitters of the game in order during the bottom of the 9^th to finish the contest and send the 'Phins to the next round of the NE10 postseason.

The Dolphins will take on the Southern New Hampshire University Penmen during game one of Championship weekend on Thursday, May 12. The Penmen are ranked #9 in the most recent National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Division II Top 25 Poll and they dominated the Northeast Division of the NE10 this season with a 21-3 conference resume.

SNHU defeated the Saint Anselm College Hawks by a score of 14-2 during their first round matchup on Tuesday.