Bridgeport, Conn. – The Le Moyne baseball team suffered a 10-3 loss on Sunday in the deciding game of a three-game Northeast Conference Series against Sacred Heart University at Veterans Memorial Park.

After dropping the first contest of the series on Friday, Le Moyne won game two in extra innings on Saturday, setting up the rubber match on Sunday.

Sacred Heart, which sits at the top of the NEC Standings, improved its Northeast Conference record to 14-4 with the win, while Le Moyne dropped to 9-8 in league play.

"We faced a pretty good arm today who was throwing hard and locating it well. We scratched out a couple runs on him to grab the lead but couldn't really get anything going against their bullpen," said Le Moyne head coach Scott Cassidy '98.

Neither team scored a run during the first four innings on Sunday, then Le Moyne took a 2-0 lead in the top of the fifth, but Sacred Heart responded with six runs in the sixth, two in the seventh and two more in the eighth to win its sixth consecutive conference series.

SHU right-handed starting pitcher Elijah Foster limited the Dolphins to three hits, three walks and two runs with seven strikeouts in 4.2 innings of work, then righty Charlie Costello improved his record to 3-1 this season after conceding two hits, one run and two strikeouts in 3.2 innings in relief.

Third baseman Tim McGuire went 4-for-5 at the plate with three RBIs for the Pios, while right fielder Alex Ungar, Devin Hicks and second baseman Charlie Tallman each produced two RBIs. Left fielder Michael Simonelli went 2-for-3 at the plate with a walk, an RBI and three runs scored.

For the Dolphins, first baseman Dewey Roden (Sherrill, N.Y./Vernon-Verona-Sherrill) tallied all three of the team's RBIs with two singles, while left fielder Jason Boule (Syracuse, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy) scored two runs with a single and a stolen base.

Right-handed starting pitcher Jordan Goldmann (Encinitas, Calif./Canyon Crest Academy/Palomar College/Grossmont College) recorded his first conference loss after completing five innings of work with six runs allowed, then right-hander Kennen Smith (Poughquag, N.Y./Arlington) tallied three strikeouts in two innings in relief, and left-hander Jack Cannon (Webster, N.Y./Webster Schroeder) pitched one inning in his third relief outing of the season.

After Goldmann stranded Sacred Heart runners in scoring position during each of the first four innings, Le Moyne took a 2-0 lead in the top of the fifth as Roden delivered a clutch two-out, two-RBI single to right-center field with the bases loaded.

Sacred Heart then grabbed the lead with a six-run inning in the bottom of the sixth that was aided by a two-RBI, pinch-hit double from Hicks and a two-RBI triple from Ungar.

Le Moyne went down 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh, then Sacred Heart added two runs in the bottom of the inning on a base hit from McGuire. The Pioneers extended their lead to 10-2 in the bottom of the eighth as Tallman ripped a double down the left field line.

Boule led off the top of the ninth with a single through the right side, second baseman Mike Whelehan (Hilton, N.Y./Hilton) moved him into scoring position with a ground ball to the right side, then Roden drove in Boule with a two-out base hit to right field. Costello then got a fly ball to record the final out of the top of the ninth and close out the win for SHU.

Up Next:
Le Moyne will play its first midweek non-conference home game on Tuesday against Niagara University before traveling to Staten Island for a weekend series at Wagner College.

First pitch for Tuesday's matchup between the Dolphins and the Purple Eagles is set for 3 p.m. at Dick Rockwell Field.