Brookville, N.Y. – The LIU Sharks took both games of Friday's doubleheader against the Le Moyne College baseball team at the LIU Baseball Stadium to begin the three-game weekend series. The Dolphins, playing in the program's first-ever Northeast Conference series, dropped game one by a score of 2-1, then the Sharks clinched the series with an 11-5 win in game two. The two sides will play the final game of the weekend on Saturday at 12 p.m.

"We got some great pitching out of Max (Parker) and Eric (Swiencicki) in game one, but could not capitalize offensively," said Le Moyne head coach Scott Cassidy '98. "We got guys on (base), but did not get the big hits to drive them in. We need to have better at bats with runners in scoring position.

"Tough day today but we're right back out there tomorrow and we'll be ready," Cassidy added.

Game One:
The Sharks tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the sixth, then plated the go-ahead run in the seventh to claim game one of the series by a score of 2-1.

Senior left-handed starting pitcher Max Parker (Manlius, N.Y./Fayetteville-Manlius) limited LIU to two runs in 6.1 innings of work, then sophomore right-hander Eric Swiencicki (Lancaster, N.Y./St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute) retired all five batters he faced with three strikeouts after relieving Parker with one out in the bottom of the seventh.

Le Moyne center fielder Zach Brush (New York Mills, N.Y./Utica Notre Dame) went 3-4 at the plate with a walk and an RBI during the setback, while first baseman Dewey Roden (Sherrill, N.Y./Vernon-Verona-Sherrill) and left fielder Jason Boule (Syracuse, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy) both recorded two hits.

Brush led off the contest with a double to left field. Right fielder Wyatt Patchett (Geneva, N.Y./Geneva) drew a walk during the second at bat of the game, then Roden drew a walk with out in the inning to load the bases.

LIU starting pitcher Garrett Yawn then struck out the next two Le Moyne hitters to strand all three runners on base in the top of the first.

Left fielder Sean Surrett led off the bottom of the first for LIU with a single to center field, then stole second base to put a runner in scoring position, but Parker retired the next three hitters to keep the game scoreless after one inning.

LIU put a runner on second with two outs in the bottom of the third, but Le Moyne third baseman Adam Sullivan (Syracuse, N.Y./Marcellus) made a nice backhanded play on a hard-hit ground ball towards the bag by LIU left fielder Jake Mastillo and threw to first in time to record the final out of the inning.

Le Moyne then broke the tie in the top of the fourth inning.

With one out in the inning, freshman second baseman Mike Whelehan (Hilton, N.Y./Hilton) and Boule recorded back-to-back singles to left field, then Brush then drove in Whelehan with a base hit to right field to give the 'Phins a 1-0 lead.

During the first at bat of the bottom of the fourth inning, LIU designated hitter Carlton Harper hit a bouncing ground ball back up the middle. While facing third base, Parker snagged the ground ball with his glove behind his back, then turned and threw to first for the out.

Roden led off the top of the fifth with a double, but Yawn struck out the next two Le Moyne batters and got a flyout to end the inning.

LIU tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the sixth when shortstop Benjamin Fierenzi drove in third baseman Noah Sorensen with a single to right field.

The Sharks then took their first lead of the game in the bottom of the seventh. Second baseman Jarod Wade drew a one-out walk, first baseman JC Navarro moved him into scoring position with a single to center field, then Mastillo drove in Wade with a single to center field.

Swiencicki then entered the game and retired the next two hitters to end the inning and strand Navarro and Mastillo on base.

Le Moyne got its leadoff runner on base in the top of the eighth, but LIU catcher Connor Price picked off the runner at first base during the next at bat. With the bases cleared, designated hitter Tyler Campbell (Syracuse, N.Y./Westhill/Onondaga C.C.) drove the ball all the way to the wall in left-center field, but was thrown out at third trying to stretch a double into a triple.

LIU left-hander Jack VanDoran recorded a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the ninth to secure the win for the Sharks.

Left-hander Evan Panjwani was credited with the win after tossing 1.2 scoreless innings in relief of Yawn, who allowed eight hits, one run and three walks with eight strikeouts in 6.0 innings of work.

Game Two:
LIU scored three runs in the opening inning, then held a 5-1 lead after seven innings before adding six runs in the bottom of the eighth. Le Moyne got three runs back in the top of the ninth but ultimately fell to the Sharks, 11-5.

LIU right-handed starting pitcher Dominic Pieto took the win in game two after limiting the Dolphins to four hits, two walks and one run with nine strikeouts in 7.0 innings of work.

Price went 4-4 at the plate for LIU with three doubles and three runs batted in, while Navarro launched a three-run home run in the eighth inning.

Le Moyne shortstop Nick Nevins (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) tallied two hits and two runs batted in during the setback, while catcher Brady Fureno (Canajoharie, N.Y./Fort Plain) recorded two hits and scored his first two runs of the season.

Third baseman Lukas Egenhauser (Suffern, N.Y./Suffern) also registered a season-high two runs scored and added his first RBI of the campaign, and Campbell recorded his first RBI as a Dolphin with a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning.