Bridgeport, Conn. – The Le Moyne baseball team prevailed in extra innings on Saturday at Sacred Heart University as the Dolphins scored the go-ahead run in the top of the 11^th to claim a 4-3 win over the first-place Pioneers and even the Northeast Conference series at 1-1. The rubber match between the two sides is set for Sunday at noon at Veterans Memorial Park.

Le Moyne shortstop Nick Nevins (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) drove in the first run of the game in the top of the first with a single up the middle, then he drove in the go-ahead run in the 11^th inning with a bases-loaded walk that brought home second baseman Mike Whelehan (Hilton, N.Y./Hilton) who led off the 11^th with a base hit to right field.

Left-handed starting pitcher Max Parker (Manlius, N.Y./Fayeteville-Manlius) held the Pios to six hits and three runs with four strikeouts in 7.0 innings of work. After allowing two runs in the bottom of the first and one in the third, Parker tossed four consecutive scoreless innings to keep the game tied.

Billy Hoffacker (Erial, N.J./Timber Creek/Rowan College of South Jersey) replaced Parker to begin the bottom of the eighth, and the redshirt-junior right-hander conceded just two hits, one walk and zero runs with five strikeouts over the next 4.0 innings to earn his fourth victory of the season in relief.

Whelehan and center fielder Zach Brush (New York Mills, N.Y./Utica Notre Dame) registered two hits each during the win, while right fielder Wyatt Patchett (Geneva, N.Y./Geneva) added two RBIs with his first career triple in the top of the first inning.

"That was a great college baseball game," said Le Moyne head coach Scott Cassidy '98 following the conference victory. "Well-pitched on both sides with some good defense. Max was great once he settled down after the first [Inning] and Billy was fantastic in some high-leverage situations. Got a chance to win the series tomorrow."

Sacred Heart starting pitcher Joe Trombley completed 5.0 innings of work with five strikeouts, then right-hander Jake McDowell tossed 2.2 scoreless innings in relief. Right fielder Alex Ungar provided a game-high three hits and a game-high two runs with one RBI for the Pios.

The Dolphins jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the top of the first as Brush led off the game with a double, advanced to third on a wild pitch with one out in the inning, and crossed the plate following a base hit to right field from Nevins.

Catcher Benji Ries (Buffalo Grove, Ill./Adlai E. Stevenson) reached base on a fielder's choice, then designated hitter Brady Fureno (Canajoharie, N.Y./Fort Plain) recorded an infield single to put two runners on base for Patchett. Patchett smashed a pitch into the right-center field gap to drive in both runners and record his first collegiate triple.

Sacred Heart scored two runs in the bottom of the first as Ungar delivered an RBI triple following a leadoff single from shortstop Gavin Donohue, then first baseman Dante D'Amore drove in Ungar with a single to left-center field.

Trombley stranded runners in scoring position during the second and third innings, then the Pioneers tied the game in the bottom of the third with an RBI groundout from D'Amore.

The Pioneers threatened in the bottom of the eighth inning, as center fielder Zack Kovalchik led off the inning with a double down the first base line, then a groundout moved him to third with one out. During the next at bat, Hoffacker got a chopper to the left side of the infield. Le Moyne third baseman Adam Sullivan (Syracuse, N.Y./Marcellus) fielded it cleanly and fired home to throw out Kovalchik at the plate for the second out of the inning. Hoffacker then got a flyout for the final out to keep the game tied going into the ninth.

Le Moyne went down 1-2-3 in the top of the ninth, then SHU catcher Dennis Gamester was hit by a pitch to lead off the bottom of the inning.

Sacred Heart brought in a pinch runner at first, who attempted to steal second during the next at bat, but Ries fired down to second base where Nevins applied the tag in time for the first out. Hoffacker then struck out the next two hitters to end the inning and send the contest to extras.

In the bottom of the tenth, Donohue led off the inning with a walk, then Kovalchik reached base to give the Pioneers runners on first and second with one out. A fly ball from D'Amore to deep right field allowed Donohue to tag up and advance to third. With the winning run 90 feet away from the plate, Hoffacker once again came up big by working all the way back from a 3-0 count and recording a swinging strikeout to end the inning.

Whelehan led off the top of the 11^th for the Dolphins and poked a single down the right field line. Brush drew a walk with one out in the inning, then first baseman Dewey Roden (Sherrill, N.Y./Vernon-Verona-Sherrill) drew a walk to load the bases. Nevins then drew a third consecutive walk to drive in Whelehan and give the Dolphins a 4-3 lead.

Hoffacker retired the SHU leadoff hitter in the bottom of the 11^th with a strikeout, then got a flyout for the second out of the inning. Following an infield single, Hoffacker got a ground ball to the left side, and Nevins flipped the ball to second for the force out to end the game and secure the NEC victory.

Nevins, who leads the Dolphins in batting average at .324 so far this season, recorded his 52nd and 53rd double as a Dolphin during Friday's setback in Connecticut, which moved him into second all-time in program history for career doubles.

Sacred Heart remains in first place in the NEC Standings with a 13-4 conference resume, while the Dolphins are now tied for fifth place in the standings with a 9-7 record against conference opponents.

Le Moyne will have the opportunity to claim its third consecutive NEC series win on Sunday with game three of the weekend series scheduled for 12 p.m.