Syracuse, N.Y. – The Le Moyne College baseball team lost to Pace University and Franklin Pierce University on Saturday and were eliminated from NE10 Championship Weekend at Dick Rockwell Field.
After defeating the Franklin Pierce Ravens 8-0 in the first game of the double-elimination tournament on Thursday, the top seed in the Southwest Division Le Moyne fell to #3 SW Pace by a score of 8-2 in the winner's bracket game on Friday afternoon. Franklin Pierce defeated #4 NE Bentley in an elimination game during the first contest of Friday's tripleheader, which set up a semifinal elimination matchup between the Dolphins and the Ravens.
The Ravens, who were 0-5 against Le Moyne going into the day after getting swept by the Dolphins at Dick Rockwell Field during non-conference action at the beginning of April, jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first on Friday, but Le Moyne responded with six runs in the bottom of the inning with the help of back-to-back home runs from fifth-year shortstop
Nick Nevins (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) and graduate first baseman
Dewey Roden (Sherrill, N.Y./Vernon-Verona-Sherrill/UMass Lowell).
After the two sides put up a combined 10 runs in the first inning, they both went scoreless in the second and third frames. The Ravens broke the game open with seven runs in the top of the fourth, taking a five-run lead.
FPU senior right-handed pitcher Danny Gracia, who entered the game in relief with zero outs in the bottom of the first and went on to record all 27 outs for the Ravens, held the Dolphins scoreless during the final three innings to secure the win for FPU and send them to the NE10 title game.
Graduate second baseman
Drew Carroll (Clifton Park, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy (Albany)) went 3 for 4 at the plate and scored both of Le Moyne's runs during their 8-2 loss to the Setters. Freshman catcher/DH
Brody Keneston (Ballston Spa, N.Y./Ballston Spa) was the one who drove Carroll in both times, while Roden and freshman left fielder/third baseman
Adam Sullivan (Syracuse, N.Y./Marcellus) both recorded two hits during the setback.
Sophomore left-hander
Jacob Crystal (Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) pitched the first 5.1 innings against Pace, then junior righty
Billy Hoffacker (Erial, N.J./Timber Creek/Rowan College of South Jersey) tossed 1.2 innings in relief before sophomore right-hander
Steven Freer (Kingston, N.Y./Kingston) pitched the final 2.0 frames.
Pace sophomore left-handed starting pitcher Vincent Civitella held Le Moyne to four hits, one walk and one run with five strikeouts in 6.0 innings of work, then graduate right-hander Michael Roll tossed the final 3.0 innings in relief to close out the victory. The Dolphins trailed 4-1 going into the ninth inning, then the Setters tacked on four runs during their final at bats to put the game out of reach.
Carroll contributed two hits and two runs during the loss to FPU, while Keneston recorded one run and a team-high three hits. Roden and Nevins both registered two RBI, and senior center fielder
Zach Brush (New York Mills, N.Y./New York Mills) added a run and two hits.
Freshman right-hander
AJ Petraitis (Kings Park, N.Y./Kings Park) made his 10
th start of the season during the postseason contest and went 3.0 innings, then freshman right-hander
Eric Swiencicki (Lancaster, N.Y./St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute) threw two innings in relief. Senior right-hander
Jed Boyle (Syracuse, N.Y./Corcoran) allowed just one hit, two walks and zero runs with three strikeouts in 3.0 innings in relief, then redshirt-sophomore right-hander
Jordan Goldmann (Encinitas, Calif./Canyon Crest Academy/Palomar College/Grossmont College) pitched a 1-2-3 top of the ninth.
The Dolphins, who are ranked #4 in the most recent NCAA East Region Poll, will await the release of the NCAA Championships bracket on Sunday.
The Franklin Pierce Ravens and the Pace Setters will meet in the NE10 Championship game at Dick Rockwell Field on Saturday at 11:00 a.m.
