Baltimore, Md. – The Le Moyne College baseball team claimed a 4-3 win in extra innings against Coppin State University on Friday at CSU's Joe Cannon Stadium in game one of a Northeast Conference series.

Junior infielder Adam Sullivan (Syracuse, N.Y./Marcellus) drove in two runs with a triple in the top of the ninth to tie the game at 3-3 and send the contest to extra innings, then senior outfielder Wyatt Patchett (Geneva, N.Y./Geneva) put Le Moyne ahead in the top of the 11^th with a base hit to center field that drove in Sullivan.

Redshirt-senior right-handed pitcher Billy Hoffacker (Erial, N.J./Timber Creek/Rowan College of South Jersey) earned his third win of the season on the mound after holding the Eagles to one hit, two walks and zero runs with three strikeouts over the final 3.0 innings.

Sullivan finished the game with a season-high three hits, three RBIs and one run, while senior catcher Benji Ries (Buffalo Grove, Ill./Adlai E. Stevenson) went 3 for 4 at the plate with a double and freshman infielder Tim Denet (West Harrison, N.Y./Iona Prep) added one walk, one single and a team-high two runs scored.

Graduate left-handed pitcher Max Parker (Manlius, N.Y./Fayetteville-Manlius) compLeted 6.0 innings of work with four strikeouts and three runs allowed during his 10^th start of the season, then junior right-hander Luke Connors (Brampton, Ontario/Heart Lake/Monroe C.C.) pitched 2.0 scoreless innings in relief before Hoffacker took the ball to begin the bottom of the ninth.

Coppin State first baseman Indy Anderson went 3 for 5 at the plate with a run for the Eagles, while right fielder Bryce Thompson tallied two RBIs, two hits and a run.

CSU senior right-handed pitcher Reagan Rivera, who entered the contest as the NEC leader in strikeouts, tallied a season-high 11 strikeouts with two walks and three runs allowed in a season-high 8.2 innings pitched against the Dolphins. Rivera was two outs away from registering a complete-game victory before Sullivan's big hit in the top of the ninth that tied the game.

Both starting pitchers got off to strong starts during the series opener. Although Le Moyne put a runner on third base in the both the first and second innings, Rivera ended the threat both times and compiled 10 strikeouts through the first six innings.

Parker did not allow a runner into scoring position through the first five innings.

Coppin State broke the 0-0 tie in the bottom of the sixth as catcher Jayden Asencio hit a sacrifice fly to left field to drive in shortstop Daniel Moore, then right fielder Bryce Thompson lifted a two-run home run over the left field wall to give the Eagles a 3-0 advantage.

Le Moyne got a run back in the top of the seventh as Denet recorded a lead off walk, Ries ripped a double down the left field line, and Sullivan smacked a ground ball to the right side to bring in Denet.

Coppin State then put runners on first and second with zero outs against Connors in the bottom of the seventh. CSU opted for a sacrifice bunt during the next at bat, but Connors fielded the ball and initiated a 1-5-6 double play to get the two lead runners.

Connors recorded a 1-2-3 frame in the bottom of the eighth to keep the deficit at 3-1.

Denet reached base with an infield single in the top of the ninth, then Ries knocked a single to center field to put the tying run on base. Sophomore Mike Whelehan (Hilton, N.Y./Hilton) then entered the game as a pinch runner for Ries.

Sullivan swung at the first pitch he saw and deposited the ball into the right-center field gap to drive in Denet and Whelehan and tie the game at 3-3.

Sullivan was thrown out at home on a fielder's choice during the next at bat, then CSU reliever Justin Ritz entered the game and got the final out of the inning to keep the contest tied.

Hoffacker recorded a 1-2-3 frame in the bottom of the ninth to send the game to extra innings.

Le Moyne put runners on second and third with one out in the top of the 10^th, but Ritz got a fly ball and a strikeout to strand both runners on base.

Anderson ripped a one-out single for CSU in the bottom of the 10^th, then Asencio drew a walk to move the winning run into scoring position, but Hoffacker got an infield foul fly ball and a three-pitch strikeout to end the threat.

Sullivan led off the 11^th with a base hit to center field, then sophomore infielder Ethan Farina (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa/Saint Rose) dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move him into scoring position.

During the next at bat, Patchett took a 2-2 pitch and drove a base hit to center field to knock in Sullivan and give the Dolphins a 4-3 lead.

Following a leadoff walk in the bottom of the 11^th, Hoffacker recorded a strikeout then got a ground ball which Sullivan turned into a 6-4 double play to end the game and secure the win for Le Moyne.

Le Moyne improved to 12-7 in NEC play with the win, while Coppin State dropped to 11-8.

The two sides will play game two of the series on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.