Pleasantville, N.Y. – The Le Moyne College baseball team held the Pace University Setters to just two runs combined during the final two games of their four-game conference series on Saturday to complete the series sweep and improve their NE10 resume to 8-4, good for second place in the Southwest Division.

With back-to-back sweeps against Saint Rose and Pace, the Dolphins have now won eight conference games in a row.

During their four victories over the Setters this weekend, the Le Moyne pitching staff allowed just seven runs and four walks in total during the 32 combined innings.

"Jake (Crystal) and AJ (Petraitis) continued with the great starting pitching [performances] we have bee getting and Eric (Swiencicki), Billy (Hoffacker) and Jed (Boyle) shut the door in relief," said Le Moyne head coach Scott Cassidy '98 following the Dolphins second consecutive NE10 Southwest Division sweep. "Not to be outdone, our offense kept rolling today. We've just been getting really good at bats up and down the lineup. There's a different guy stepping up every game. (Drew) Carroll had another good day with the bat and Jason (Boule) came up big for us today. It was a really good weekend," Cassidy added.

Sophomore left-hander Jacob Crystal (Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) started game one on the mound for Le Moyne and went 6.0 innings to earn the win before freshman right-hander Eric Swiencicki (Lancaster, N.Y./St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute) tossed a scoreless bottom of the seventh to earn his third save of the season.

Graduate first baseman Dewey Roden (Sherrill, N.Y./Vernon-Verona-Sherrill/UMass Lowell), graduate second baseman Drew Carroll (Clifton Park, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy (Albany)) and sophomore catcher Benji Ries (Buffalo Grove, N.Y./Adlai E. Stevenson) each recorded an RBI during the 3-1 win, while Carroll provided a team-high two hits during the conference victory. Ries is currently slashing .464/.500/..643 through nine conference starts in 2023.

After going 6.0 innings against Saint Rose on April 16 to earn his first collegiate victory, freshman right-hander AJ Petraitis (Kings Park, N.Y./Kings Park) started game two against the Setters on Saturday and allowed just five hits, one run and one walk over 7.0 innings to improve his record to 2-1.

Junior right-hander Billy Hoffacker (Erial, N.J./Timber Creek/Rowan College of South Jersey) and senior righty Jed Boyle (Syracuse, N.Y./Corcoran) each threw 1.0 scoreless inning in relief to close out the nine-inning series finale.

Carroll once again recorded two hits during the second half of the doubleheader, while freshman catcher/third baseman Brody Keneston (Ballston Spa, N.Y./Ballston Spa) provided a team-high two RBIs. Junior left fielder Jason Boule (Syracuse, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy (Syracuse)) tallied two hits, two runs scored and an RBI during the 6-1 win. Freshman infielder/outfielder Adam Sullivan (Syracuse, N.Y./Marcellus) tallied an RBI during game two, giving him 18 runs batted in through 12 conference starts so far in 2023, which is tied for the fifth most in the NE10. Sullivan is also currently on a 10-game hitting streak following the Pace series.

Le Moyne broke the tie in game one during the opening frame when Carroll led off the game with a single to center field, moved over to second on a sacrifice bunt from senior shortstop Nick Nevins, then moved to third on a throwing error by the pitcher, then scored on a Roden ground ball to the right side.

The 'Phins doubled their lead in the top of the second after sophomore right fielder Wyatt Patchett (Geneva, N.Y./Geneva) ripped a one-out single, then advanced to second on a passed ball, and scored following a two-out base hit from Ries.

Following a one-out double from Sullivan in the top of the third, Boule ripped a two-out double down the left field line to give Le Moyne runners on first and third. Carroll smacked a single down the right field line during the next at bat to extend his team's lead to 3-0.

Pace got a run back in the bottom of the fourth with the help of a leadoff ground-rule double from sophomore shortstop Mason Baronian

Pace put a runner on second with zero outs in the bottom of the sixth, but Crystal recorded a strikeout and a flyout to end the inning and complete his day's work.

Swiencicki worked around a one-out single in the bottom of the seventh to secure the win for the 'Phins.

Both Petraitis and Pace's game two starter, senior right-hander Christian Aich, did not allow a run through the first six innings, then Le Moyne broke the tie in the top of the sixth.

Boule led off with a ground-rule double to left field, then he advanced to third on a throwing error by the pitcher. Carroll ripped a single to left field to drive in Boule and make it 1-0 in favor of the Dolphins.

Pace got the run back in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI-single from Nate Carminucci.

Sullivan led off the top of the eighth with a ground-rule double over the right field wall, the Ries moved him over to third with a sacrifice bunt. Boule stepped to the plate next, and delivered a base hit into center field to drive in Sullivan and give the 'Phins a 2-1 lead.

Boule came around to score later in the inning as Keneston drove in two runs with a base hit to right-center field.

Also in the eighth inning, Patchett was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, and Sullivan drew a walk with the bases loaded to make it 6-1 in favor of the Dolphins.