Easton, Mass. – The Stonehill College Skyhawks recorded a 5-4 win over the Le Moyne College baseball team Friday at Lou Gorman Field to even the NEC series at 1-1 and set up a rubber match on Saturday.
Stonehill junior Aidan Cohall gave the Skyhawks an early lead with a two-run home run in the bottom of the first, then sophomore catcher Aidan Sengenberger drove in graduate infielder Jack Thorbahn with a double to right-center field in the bottom of the third to make it 3-0.
Le Moyne responded with three runs in the top of the fourth. Freshman designated hitter
Derek Diaz (White Plains, N.Y./Iona Prep) was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, then sophomore outfielder
Jack Cannon (Webster, N.Y./Webster Schroeder) drew a walk to move him into scoring position.
With one out in the inning, senior infielder
Benji Ries (Buffalo Grove, Ill./Adlai E. Stevenson) ripped a single to left field to load the bases.
Junior infielder
Adam Sullivan (Syracuse, N.Y./Marcellus) stepped to the plate next and smacked a single to right field to drive in Diaz and Cannon, and move Ries to third.
Sophomore infielder
Ethan Farina (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa/Saint Rose) lifted a fly ball to right field during the next at bat, which allowed Ries to tag up and score, tying the contest at 3-3.
Stonehill went back ahead in the bottom of the fourth, as freshman infielder Brayden Rader poked a leadoff single to left field, and came around to score later in the inning on a balk.
The Skyhawks added a run in the bottom of the fifth to take a 5-3 lead.
Cannon led off the top of the eighth with a solo home run to right-center field, marking the third consecutive game that he has homered. Cannon is now tied for the team lead in home runs alongside
Tim Denet (West Harrison, N.Y./Iona Prep) and
Wyatt Patchett (Geneva, N.Y./Geneva) with five.
Le Moyne put the tying run on third base in the top of the ninth, but Stonehill junior right-handed pitcher Adam Martin got a fly ball to end the threat, secure the 5-4 win and earn his fourth save of the season.
Junior center fielder
Paulie Goodness (Palmyra, N.Y./Palmyra-Macedon/Finger Lakes Community College) recorded a team-high two hits with a stolen base for Le Moyne during the setback, while Cannon scored a team-high two runs, and Sullivan provided a team-high two RBIs.
Redshirt-sophomore right-handed starting pitcher
AJ Petraitis (Kings Park, N.Y./Kings Park) went 5.0 innings during his eighth start of the season for the Dolphins.
Le Moyne redshirt-senior right-hander
Billy Hoffacker (Erial, N.J./Timber Creek/Rowan College of South Jersey) delivered a great relief outing for the 'Phins, limiting the Skyhawks to two hits, zero walks and zero runs with three strikeouts in 3.0 innings of work.
Stonehill freshman right-hander Mason Hebert earned the win on the mound after tossing 2.1 innings in relief with one hit, zero walks and zero runs allowed.
Le Moyne and Stonehill will conclude the series with a 12:00 p.m. matchup on Saturday.
Le Moyne, which recorded a 15-1 win in game one on Friday, sits in fourth in the NEC standings with an 11-6 conference record, while Stonehill is tied for fifth with a 10-7 resume against NEC competition.
