Norfolk, Va. – The Le Moyne College baseball team closed out the 2024 campaign with its third Northeast Conference series sweep, winning both games of a doubleheader against Norfolk State University on Friday after defeating the Spartans in game one on Thursday.

Le Moyne claimed a 10-4 win against Norfolk State in game one of Friday's doubleheader, then they erased a five-run deficit in the season finale, scoring six runs in the final two innings to claim a 12-11 come-from-behind win in the nightcap.

The Dolphins conclude the 2024 season, their first as a member of the Northeast Conference as well as their first season at the Division I level since 2011, with a 22-27-1 overall record, including a 15-17 conference resume.

"It was a great way to finish the season," said Le Moyne head coach Scott Cassidy '98. "To get three wins on the last weekend and finish our first year back at Division I with over 20 wins is something we can build on. Our seniors went out with a great comeback win. We are really going to miss what they brought to the table every day."

Game One:
Le Moyne senior left-handed pitcher Max Parker (Manlius, N.Y./Fayetteville-Manlius) made his 14^th start of the season in game one and tallied eight strikeouts with one walk and three earned runs allowed in 7.2 innings of work to register his fourth victory of the campaign.

Parker has now gone at least seven innings in seven games this season, including each of his last three starts. He finishes the 2024 campaign with 91.0 innings pitched, which is the 11th-most innings pitched by a Le Moyne player in a single season in program history. Parker's 269.1 innings pitched in his Le Moyne career is the fifth-most in program history.

Redshirt-junior right-hander Billy Hoffacker (Erial, N.J./Timber Creek/Rowan College of South Jersey), who tossed two scoreless innings to earn a save in Le Moyne's 5-3 win over the Spartans in game one of the series on Thursday, delivered another quality relief outing on Friday, conceding zero hits, zero runs and zero walks with three strikeouts in 1.1 innings after taking the ball from Parker.

Senior catcher Brady Fureno (Canajoharie, N.Y./Fort Plain) went 4-for-4 to record a career-high in hits during the win, while senior second baseman Jason Boule (Syracuse, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy) smashed his fourth home run of the season, a two-run shot, in the second inning to give the Dolphins a lead that they would not relinquish.

Graduate first baseman Dewey Roden (Sherrill, N.Y./Vernon-Verona-Sherrill) tallied three hits for the 'Phins, including his second career triple, in addition to one run and two RBIs, and sophomore third baseman Adam Sullivan (Syracuse, N.Y./Marcellus) went 2-for-4 at the plate with a run, two walks and a game-high three runs batted in.

Senior center fielder Zach Brush (New York Mills, N.Y./Utica Notre Dame) added two hits, two walks, a run and two RBIs.

For the Spartans, third baseman Kydese Queen went 2-for-3 at the plate with a home run, a walk, a run and a team-high two RBIs. First baseman Jamal Ritter added two hits and two runs for Norfolk State, while designated hitter Manny Jackson contributed two hits, a run and an RBI. Senior right-handed pitcher Nolan Manzer limited the Dolphins to four hits, one unearned run and two walks with three strikeouts in 3.2 innings pitched in relief.

Game Two:
The Dolphins fell behind 6-2 after three innings in their final game of the season, then cut their deficit to 6-5 in the top of the fourth with the help of RBIs from Roden and senior shortstop Nick Nevins (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham).

Le Moyne then tied the game at 6-6 in the top of the fifth after sophomore left fielder Tyler Campbell (Syracuse, N.Y./Westhill/Onondaga C.C.) crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly from Boule.

Norfolk State then went back in front with five runs in the bottom of the seventh. First baseman Cam Mazell and shortstop Swaroop Pujari both delivered back-to-back RBI doubles in the seventh, then center fielder Jamal Ritter and outfielder Emmett Jefferson both recorded RBI singles to make it 11-6 in favor of the Spartans.

With one out and nobody on base in the top of the eighth inning, Brush singled up the middle, then Roden launched a home run over the left field wall, his eighth home run of the season, to cut Le Moyne's deficit to three. Nevins drew a walk during the next at bat, then junior right fielder/right-handed pitcher Wyatt Patchett (Geneva, N.Y./Geneva), who got the final two outs on the mound in the bottom of the seventh, made it a one-run game with a two-run home run to left field.

The home run was Patchett's 12^th of the season, which is the most on the team. The junior from Geneva has now recorded 12 home runs in each of the last two seasons, and his 25 total career home runs are tied for the sixth most by a Le Moyne player in program history.

Patchett then went back to the mound for the bottom of the eighth and delivered a big 1-2-3 frame with a strikeout to keep the deficit at one run going into the final inning.

Boule led off the top of the ninth with an infield single, then freshman catcher Cooper Romich (North Chili, N.Y./Churchville-Chili) moved him into scoring position. With one out, Brush ripped a single to right-center field, driving in Boule to tie the game at 11-11.

Roden then drew a walk, which moved Brush into scoring position, and Nevins ripped a single to center field during the next at bat to drive in Brush and put the Dolphins in front, 12-11.

With two hits, two RBIs and a double during the win, Nevins finished his Le Moyne career second all-time in hits (242), doubles (58), runs batted in (158), runs scored (175), and holds the program record for walks (128), assists (593) and games started (238).

Sullivan then took the mound to begin the bottom of the ninth and retired the first two batters of the inning. Following a single from Ritter, Romich caught him trying to steal second base, which ended the game, securing a 12-11 win for the 'Phins along with Sullivan's first career save.

Roden finished the contest with a team-high four RBIs, while Brush tallied two hits, three runs, three walks and an RBI.

On the year, Brush tallied a team-high 35 walks, giving him 113 total walks in his career, which is the third-most in program history. He is also 21^st in career hits (180) and 19^th in runs scored (129).

Roden concludes his Le Moyne career with a .320 batting average in 146 starts with 158 hits, 39 doubles, 21 home runs, 80 walks and 111 RBIs.

The win marked the second time this season that the Dolphins erased a five-run deficit to win a conference game. Le Moyne previously came back from a 5-0 deficit at LIU on March 9 to claim the program's first Northeast Conference win by a score of 8-6.

With three conference wins in Norfolk, the Le Moyne baseball team has now recorded at least 20 wins in each of the last seven seasons. The Dolphins also established a winning record at home for the fourth consecutive season.