Houston, Texas – The Houston Christian University Huskies recorded a walk-off victory over the Le Moyne College baseball team on Friday in the first contest of a four-game weekend series, and the first game of the 2024 season for both sides.

Designated hitter Parker Edwards delivered an RBI double in the bottom of the ninth to lift the Huskies to a 4-3 victory.

Le Moyne senior left-handed starting pitcher Max Parker (Manlius, N.Y./Fayetteville-Manlius) tallied 10 strikeouts (one shy of his career high) with three hits, one walk and two runs allowed in 6.0 innings of work.

Fifth-year center fielder Zach Brush (New York Mills, N.Y./Utica Notre Dame) launched Le Moyne's first home run of the season, a solo shot to right field in the top of the third inning that tied the game at 1-1.

Sophomore third baseman Adam Sullivan (Syracuse, N.Y./Marcellus) and junior right fielder Wyatt Patchett (Geneva, N.Y./Geneva) each drove in a run, while fifth-year shortstop Nick Nevins (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) recorded a game-high three hits in four at bats.

Brush, Patchett and sophomore designated hitter Brody Keneston (Ballston Spa, N.Y./Ballston Spa) each drew two walks.

Three players made their Le Moyne debuts during the season opener. Freshman infielder Mike Whelehan (Hilton, N.Y./Hilton) made his first career start at second base and recorded his first collegiate base hit, while sophomore outfielder Tyler Campbell (Syracuse, N.Y./Westhill/Onondaga C.C.) recorded his first start and hit as a Dolphin, and freshman infielder/outfielder Jack Cannon (Webster, N.Y./Webster Schroeder) appeared in his first collegiate contest as a pinch runner.

Both teams recorded eight hits during the non-conference contest.

HCU third baseman Tyler LaRue drove in a game-high three runs with two hits and a sacrifice fly for the Huskies. Senior right-handed starting pitcher James Kirkpatrick completed four innings of work with four strikeouts and one run allowed, then senior right-hander Jarek Wells tossed two scoreless innings in relief.

Le Moyne scored two unearned runs off Christian Diaz, who completed 1.2 innings of work, then right-handers Zach Ryan and Mark Lopez each got two outs without conceding a run. Lopez was credited with the win after Edwards' walk-off in the ninth.

Playing in the program's first Division I contest since 2011, the Dolphins surrendered the first run of the game in the bottom of the second when LaRue lifted a home run over the left field wall.

Brush evened the score at 1-1 in the top of the third when he turned on a 1-1 pitch and sent the ball over the right field wall for his 10^th career home run.

Parker then recorded a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the third with two four-pitch swinging strikeouts.

The Dolphins put a runner in scoring position in the top of the fourth following back-to-back two-out singles from Nevins and Campbell, but Kirkpatrick forced a ground out to the right side of the infield to keep the score tied at 1-1 and complete his day's work.

In the bottom of the fifth, Houston Christian put runners on second and third with one out, but Parker recorded two consecutive strikeouts to end the inning and strand both runners on base.

Nevins recorded his third single of the game with one out and nobody on in the top of the sixth, then he advanced to second base on a wild pitch. Wells proceeded to get a strikeout and groundout to strand Nevins on base and complete his two innings of work.

HCU redshirt-sophomore shortstop Ty Hodge singled to right field to lead off the bottom of the sixth inning, then he advanced to second after sophomore catcher Dylan LaRue was hit by a pitch. Both runners stole a bag with one out to put runners on second and third, then Hodge scored on a sacrifice fly from Tyler LaRue to give the Huskies a 2-1 lead.

Le Moyne put runners on second and third in the top of the seventh, but Diaz got a strikeout to end the inning.

Le Moyne redshirt-junior right-hander Billy Hoffacker (Erial, N.J./Timber Creek/Rowan College of South Jersey) entered the game in relief of Parker to begin the seventh inning and tossed a scoreless frame to keep the 'Phins within one run.

Junior catcher Benji Ries (Buffalo Grove, Ill./Adlai E. Stevenson) led off the top of the eighth for Le Moyne and ripped a double to left-center field, then he advanced to third with one out in the inning after Campbell hit a ground ball that resulted in an error.

Cannon came in to pinch run for Ries, and the rookie scored his first career run when Sullivan hit a ground ball to the right side to record his first RBI of the season on a fielder's choice and tie the game at 2-2.

Sullivan stole second base during the next at bat to put the go-ahead run in scoring position for the 'Phins, then he came around to score as Patchett knocked a single to right field.

Tyler LaRue drove in Dylan LaRue with a double to center field in the bottom of the eighth to tie the game at 3-3.

Keneston drew a one-out walk with nobody on base in the top of the ninth, but Lopez entered the game and retired the next two Le Moyne hitters to keep the score at 3-3 going into the bottom of the frame.
Freshman outfielder Lane Sparks delivered a leadoff single for HCU in the bottom of the ninth, then Edwards hit a double to left-center field to drive in Sparks and give the Huskies a 4-3 win.

The two teams will continue the series on Saturday with a doubleheader scheduled for 1:00 and 4:00 p.m. ET.