Bridgeport, Conn. – The Sacred Heart Pioneers defeated the Le Moyne baseball team by a score of 12-6 in the opening contest of a three-game Northeast Conference series at Veterans Memorial Park in Bridgeport.

With a four-run inning in the top of the fifth, the Dolphins trimmed their deficit to 7-6, but the Pioneers added two runs in the bottom of the fifth, then three in the eighth, while graduate relief pitcher David Aufiero held Le Moyne scoreless for the final four innings to earn the save and secure the conference victory to begin the weekend series.

Le Moyne shortstop Nick Nevins went 3-4 at the plate with two doubles, three RBIs and a run scored, center fielder Zach Brush provided two hits and two runs scored, right fielder Wyatt Patchett launched his third home run of the season, a solo shot in the top of the third, and designated hitter Benji Ries added two RBIs. Left-handed pitcher Jacob Crystal completed 6.0 innings of work in his sixth conference start, then lefty Max Danaher tossed 2.0 innings in relief.

"On a day where Jacob didn't have his best stuff, he gave us six innings and left down only one run," said Le Moyne head coach Scott Cassidy '98. "That is huge going into the rest of the weekend. Our offense showed some grit by battling back from an early deficit. Nevins was huge for us. We'll try to get back in the win column tomorrow."

Sacred Heart recorded a season-best 17 hits during the win, led by the reigning NEC Player of the Week Zack Kovalchik who went 5-for-5 at the plate with two singles, a double, a triple and a home run. Kovalchik tallied four runs scored and four RBIs, while first baseman Dante D'Amore also produced four RBI with two hits and a run scored. Right fielder Alex Ungar added four hits, four runs and an RBI for the Pios.

SHU starting pitcher Jake Babuschak improved his record in NEC play to 6-0 after surrendering seven hits, two walks and six runs with eight strikeouts in 5.0 innings, then Aufiero held the Dolphins to two walks and zero hits with three strikeouts in the final 4.0 innings.

Le Moyne scored the first run of the game in the top of the first as Brush ripped a single to left field, first baseman Dewey Roden moved him to second with a ground ball, then Nevins drove him in with a single up the middle.

Sacred Heart took the lead with two runs in the bottom of the first, then added three runs in the second with the help of a two-RBI single from D'Amore.

Patchett's solo shot to lead off the top of the third trimmed Le Moyne's deficit to 5-2, then the Pioneers added a run back in the bottom of the inning with the help of a lead-off double from designated hitter Ronan Donohue. Kovalchik's solo home run in the bottom of the fourth made it 7-2 in favor of the home team.

With one out and nobody on in the top of the fifth, Patchett and second baseman Mike Whelehan drew back-to-back walks, then a base hit through the left side of the infield from Brush loaded the bases. Following a fly ball for the second out of the inning, Nevins came up clutch and roped a two-strike pitch down the right field line for a two-RBI double. With runners on second and third, Ries ripped a single back up the middle to drive in two more runs and cut Le Moyne's deficit to 7-6.

Sacred Heart went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the fifth, but Le Moyne did the same in the top of the sixth, then the Pios added two runs in the next frame with a double from Kovalchik.

The Dolphins were unable to put a runner on base during the seventh and eighth innings, then Sacred Heart extended its lead to 12-6 in the bottom of the eighth with hits from Ungar, Kovalchik, D'Amore, and Donohue.

Le Moyne and Sacred Heart will play game two of the conference series on Saturday at 1 p.m.