West Haven, Conn. – The Le Moyne College baseball team (29-17, 14-6 NE10) scored a combined 22 runs on Saturday to earn two wins over the University of New Haven Chargers (28-14, 10-9 NE10, #4 in East Region), claiming their fourth consecutive conference series win, and clinching the 2023 NE10 Southwest Division Regular Season Championship.

Le Moyne, ranked no. 5 in the most recent NCAA East Region Poll, entered the weekend one game behind the Southern Connecticut State University Owls in the division standings, but after Le Moyne took three of four from the Chargers in their final series of the regular season, and the Owls dropped their final four games to the Adelphi University Panthers, the 'Phins took sole possession of the regular season title, as well as the no. 1 seed in the NE10 Championship.

After New Haven claimed a 3-2 walk-off win in the bottom of the 11^th inning during game one of the series on Friday, Le Moyne outscored the Chargers 28-6 over the final three contests to salvage the series win.

The Dolphins registered a 13-4 win in game one of Saturday's doubleheader. Freshman right-hander AJ Petraitis (Kings Park, N.Y./Kings Park) recorded his first career complete game and his third conference victory during the seven-inning contest, while sophomore catcher Benji Ries (Buffalo Grove, Ill./Adlai E. Stevenson) tallied a career-high four hits, and graduate first baseman Dewey Roden (Sherrill, N.Y./Vernon-Verona-Sherrill/UMass Lowell) provided a career-high four RBI. Roden also provided three hits in game one while Ries added three runs and two RBI. Freshman left fielder/third baseman Adam Sullivan (Syracuse, N.Y./Marcellus) scored a team-high and personal season-high four runs during the 13-4 win, and sophomore right fielder Wyatt Patchett (Geneva, N.Y./Geneva) added three runs and two hits, including a solo home run, his second long ball of the series and 11^th of the year. Fifth-year shortstop Nick Nevins (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) contributed three runs batted in during the win, which guaranteed the Dolphins at least a share of the regular season title.

Redshirt-sophomore right-handed pitcher Jordan Goldmann (Encinitas, Calif./Canyon Crest Academy/Palomar College/Grossmont College) started game two on the mound for the Dolphins, and held the Chargers to just five hits, two walks and one run with six strikeouts over 8.0 innings of work to earn his first NE10 victory as the 'Phins triumphed by a score of 9-1.

Roden tallied three hits, three RBI and two runs during the regular season finale, finishing the series with nine hits, including five doubles, four runs, three walks and eight runs batted in. Roden's 22 total RBI during conference play is the most among NE10 Southwest Division hitters.

Ries recorded two hits, a run and two RBI in game two on Saturday to improve his NE10 batting average to .444, which is the third-highest average in the conference.

Senior center fielder Zach Brush (New York Mills, N.Y./New York Mills) went 3 for 4 at the plate with two RBI during the nightcap after providing two hits and a run during game one.

Graduate second baseman Drew Carroll (Clifton Park, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy (Albany)) recorded a combined 17 assists and 13 putouts during the four-game series, while his middle-infield partner Nevins tallied 16 assists and eight putouts.

Le Moyne finishes the regular season with 73 extra-base hits during conference play, which is the most among NE10 Southwest Division teams. They also lead the division with 24 home runs and 131 RBI in 20 NE10 battles. The Dolphins' team conference slugging percentage of .498 is second in the entire NE10 behind nationally ranked Southern New Hampshire.

The Dolphins won 14 of their final 16 conference games to claim the program's first southwest division title since the 2018 season.

Le Moyne will host a first round game in the conference tournament on Tuesday as the no. 1 seed in the southwest division, and if they win that they will host NE10 Championship Weekend from Thursday to Saturday.

"We're just firing on all cylinders right now and playing complete baseball," said Le Moyne head coach Scott Cassidy '98 following the regular-season finale. "Our offense is tough one through nine and our pitching staff has been outstanding. These young men have really played some good baseball and earned this regular season title. Now we need to prepare and be ready to go on Tuesday," Cassidy added.

Game One:
The Dolphins took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first after Carroll drew a leadoff walk and was driven in by a Roden double off the wall in center field.

The Chargers answered back with two runs in the bottom of the first with the help of a two-RBI single from left fielder Owen Pincince.

Patchett led off the top of the second for the Dolphins and smashed his second solo home run of the series and his team-leading 11^th home run in 2023 to tie the game at 2-2.

Sullivan was hit by a pitch during the next at bat, then Ries moved him over to third with a base hit to right-center field. Carroll lifted a fly ball to center field with one out in the inning which allowed Sullivan to tag up and score, once again giving the Dolphins a one-run lead.

Petraitis recorded a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the second, then the 'Phins added three runs in the top of the third to open up a 6-2 lead.

With the bases loaded and one out in the top of the fifth, Nevins hit a chopper towards the right side. Sullivan raced home from third as the New Haven second baseman tagged the runner going to second then fired to first to try to get the double play. Nevins hustled down the line and beat the throw to first to keep the inning alive, then Ries rounded third and slid across home plate as the Chargers left the plate uncovered. Roden ripped a double down the right field line during the next at bat to drive in Nevins and make it 9-2 in favor of the Dolphins.

New Haven put runners on first and second with zero outs in the bottom of the fifth, but Petraitis got a ground ball to the left side and Le Moyne's infield spun a 6-4-3 double play for the first two outs of the inning.

Le Moyne scored their final four runs in the top of the 6^th to extend their lead to 13-2. New Haven added two runs in the bottom of the seventh, but Petraitis got a fly ball with a runner on second to get the final out of the inning and secure his first collegiate complete game, as well as improve his conference record to 3-1.

Third baseman Andrew Cain recorded a team-best three hits for the Chargers during the setback, while freshman right-handed starting pitcher Tyler Sausville went 4.0 innings and was credited with the loss after allowing six runs (four earned).

Game Two:
New Haven put runners on first and third with nobody out in the bottom of the first. With center fielder Robert Taylor at the plate, Cain took off for second and Le Moyne's catcher Ries fired the ball down to Carroll at second base. The runner at third took off for home on the throw, so Carroll moved forward, accepted the throw in front of the bag and fired the ball right back to Ries. Ries caught the ball at the plate and applied the tag on the runner in time to prevent the run and record the first out of the inning.

Ries gave Le Moyne a 1-0 lead in the top of the second when he drove in freshman catcher/DH Brody Keneston (Ballston Spa, N.Y./Ballston Spa) with a two-out double over the right fielder's head.

New Haven tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the second on an RBI double from second baseman Noah Budzik.

Goldmann recorded 1-2-3 innings in the third, fourth and fifth frames, then Le Moyne took a 2-1 lead in the top of the sixth on an RBI double from Brush.

New Haven put a runner on second with one out in the bottom of the fifth, but Goldmann recorded a three-pitch strikeout, then Sullivan made a tough over-the-shoulder catch in left field to end the inning, strand the runner on base, and maintain Le Moyne's 2-1 lead.

Nevins crossed the plate after recording a leadoff double in the top of the eighth to give the Dolphins an insurance run.

Goldmann delivered a 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout in the bottom of the eighth to conclude his day's work.

The Dolphins added six runs in the top of the ninth via an RBI single from Ries, a three-RBI double Roden, and RBI doubles from Keneston and Brush.

Senior right-hander Jed Boyle (Syracuse, N.Y./Corcoran) held the Chargers scoreless during the bottom of the ninth to close out Le Moyne's 14^th conference win of the season.

The no. 1-seed Dolphins will host the no. 4 seed in the southwest division on Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. at Dick Rockwell Field for an NE10 Championship First Round matchup.