Niagara University, N.Y. – The Le Moyne College baseball team defeated Niagara University in non-conference action for the second time this season with a 17-10 win at Niagara's Bobo Field on Tuesday.

Le Moyne previously defeated Niagara, which sits in first place in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference with a 16-2 record in league play, on April 16 in Syracuse by a score of 9-4.

The Dolphins jumped out to a 7-1 lead after two innings on Tuesday, then the Purple Eagles took the lead with three runs in the third followed by five in the fourth.

The Dolphins scratched across four runs over the next three innings to take an 11-9 lead, and they added six runs in the top of the ninth to put the game out of reach.

"The offense got us out to an early lead and the bullpen was able to hold it for the remainder of the game," said Le Moyne head coach Scott Cassidy '98. "Max (Danaher) settled in and gave us a really good outing and (Adam) Sullivan and Billy (Hoffacker) handled the rest. It was a great offensive game with several contributors providing great at bats. Now we shift our attention to a big conference weekend ahead."

The reigning NEC Player of the Week Dewey Roden (Sherrill, N.Y./Vernon-Verona-Sherrill/UMass Lowell) started on the mound for the 'Phins and went three innings, then freshman left-hander Max Danaher (Fayetteville, N.Y./Fayetteville-Manlius) collected his first career win after tossing three innings in relief.

Sophomore right-hander Adam Sullivan (Syracuse, N.Y./Marcellus) allowed zero hits and zero runs in two innings pitched after Danaher, then redshirt-junior right-hander Billy Hoffacker (Erial, N.J./Timber Creek/Rowan College of South Jersey) got the final three outs for the Dolphins.

Junior right fielder Wyatt Patchett (Geneva, N.Y./Geneva) led Le Moyne at the plate with a career-high three extra-base hits, a season-high four RBIs in addition to three runs scored and two walks. Patchett provided an RBI walk in the first inning, an RBI double in the second, a solo home run in the fifth and an RBI double in the ninth.

Sophomore third baseman Brody Keneston (Ballston Spa, N.Y./Ballston Spa) also drove in four runs during the win with the help of a two-RBI double in the second inning. Freshman second baseman Mike Whelehan (Hilton, N.Y./Hilton) recorded three hits, three runs scored and an RBI, while sophomore left fielder Tyler Campbell (Syracuse, N.Y./Westhill/Onondaga C.C.) launched his first career home run in the ninth inning and scored the go-ahead run in the seventh after ripping a one-out double with nobody on base. Campbell finished the game with season highs in hits (2), runs (2) and runs batted in (3).

Senior first baseman Brady Fureno (Canajoharie, N.Y./Fort Plain) tied his season high of three RBIs during the win, while senior center fielder Zach Brush (New York Mills, N.Y./Utica Notre Dame) smashed his third home run in the last three games, and his fifth of the season, and finished the game with two hits, two RBIs, three runs scored and a walk.

Junior designated hitter Benji Ries (Buffalo Grove, Ill./Adlai E. Stevenson) drew a game-high and career-high three walks. Le Moyne, which set a program record with 15 walks during a 20-8 conference win over Maryland Eastern Shore on May 3, drew 11 walks against the Purple Eagles on Tuesday, which marks the sixth time this season that they've recorded at least 10 walks in a single game. The last Le Moyne team to record at least 10 walks in at least six games was the 2019 squad.

So far this season, the Dolphins tallied 17 runs in a game against Coppin State, 20 runs in game two of the UMES series, and now 17 runs against Niagara, which makes them the first Le Moyne team to score at least 17 runs in three different games since the 2014 squad.

For the Purple Eagles, designated hitter Eric Rataczak and third baseman Rees Kozar both tallied three RBIs and three hits on Tuesday, while shortstop Kelly Corl added a game-high four hits and a game-high four runs scored.

The Dolphins are now 4-3 in midweek non-conference games. After taking both games against Niagara this season, Le Moyne now holds a 76-23 all-time record against the Purple Eagles.

Le Moyne, currently in eighth place in the NEC Standings with a 12-14 conference record, will host fourth-place Merrimack (24-24, 16-11 NEC) this weekend for a three-game series at Dick Rockwell Field beginning on Friday at 3 p.m.