Syracuse, N.Y. — The Le Moyne College baseball team scored six runs in the bottom of the ninth inning, capped off by a two-run, walk-off double by freshman left fielder
Nick Kriegelstein (
Farmington, N.Y./Victor), to complete a comeback victory in the rubber match of a three-game NEC series with Mercyhurst on Sunday afternoon at Dick Rockwell Field, 11-10.
Five different players drove in runs for the Dolphins, led by junior right fielder
Jack Cannon (Webster, N.Y./Webster Schroeder), who recorded two hits, including a home run, drove in four runs, walked once and stole two bases, the first of which gave him 32 on the season, which moved him past Carmen Vecchio from 1979 for the second-most steals in a season in the program's history. Junior second baseman
Mike Whelehan (Hilton, N.Y./Hilton) and sophomore designated hitter
Derek Diaz (White Plains, N.Y./Iona Prep) each added an RBI on a sacrifice fly, and Kriegelstein drove in two runs on his walk off double. Senior shortstop
Adam Sullivan (
Syracuse, N.Y./Marcellus) recorded an RBI single, and senior center fielder
Paulie Goodness (
Palmyra, N.Y./Palmyra-Macedon/Finger Lakes Community College) added two hits, walked once and reached on a hit-by-pitch.
Freshman right-hander
Jack Molini (Mastic, N.Y./William Floyd) made the start for Le Moyne, pitching 4.1 innings of work, allowing six runs and striking out a season-high five batters. Redshirt sophomore
Eric Swienecicki (
Lancaster, N.Y./St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute) pitched 3.2 innings in relief of Molini, allowing two runs and striking out a season-high five batters. Senior right-hander
Luke Connors (
Brampton, Ontario/Heart Lake/Monroe Community College) finished the final inning on the mound, allowing two runs, striking out one batter and recording the win.
Goodness walked and freshman left fielder/third baseman
Isaac Brozon (
Aurora, N.Y./Southern Cayuga) was hit by a pitch to begin the bottom of the first inning for the Dolphins and Cannon followed with a homer over the left field wall, his third of the season, to give Le Moyne an early 3-0 lead.
Catcher Parker Zeiser led off the top of the third with a solo shot to make it a 3-1 game.
Designated hitter Luke Babcock lifted a one-out solo homer to left center in the top of the fourth inning to make it 3-2. The next batter was retired before left fielder Dana Williams lined one over the right field wall to tie the game at 3-3.
Center fielder Riley Ames walked and third baseman Logan Koslin singled to put runners on first and third with no outs in the top of the fifth. Koslin was picked off before first baseman Jayden Walker reached first on a hit-by-pitch. Second baseman Zachary Kourous then doubled to right center to score Ames before right fielder Mike Samarin lined a two-run single through the right side to give Mercyhurst a 6-3 lead.
A single by Goodness and walks by Brozon and sophomore catcher
Robert Wegrzyn (
North Tonawanda, N.Y./Niagara-Wheatfield) loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the fifth. Diaz then reached on a fielding error by the third baseman, which allowed two runs to come across and make it a 6-5 game.
A walk by junior first baseman
Cooper Romich (
North Chili, N.Y./Churchville-Chili) and a single by Brozon put runners on first and second with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Cannon then lifted a ball to deep center field, but Ames made a leaping catch over the wall to rob Cannon of what would have been his second home run of the game.
Walker led off the top of the seventh with a single and Kourous followed with a two-run homer to right field, his third home run of the series, to make it an 8-5 game.
Babcock added a two-run shot in the top of the ninth inning, his second home run of the game, to make it 10-5.
Goodness singled and Brozon was hit by a pitch to begin the bottom of the ninth for the Dolphins. The runners advanced on a wild pitch before Cannon lined a single to right field, allowing Brozon to move to third and for Goodness to score, making it a 10-6 game. Sullivan then hit a bloop single into left field that allowed Brozon to score, making it 10-7. Wegrzyn was hit by a pitch to load the bases and a sacrifice fly by Diaz scored Cannon to make it 10-8. Junior
James Musso (Auburn, N.Y./Skaneateles) then entered the game to pinch run for Wegrzyn. Whelehan followed with a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Sullivan and heads up baserunning allowed Musso to reach second base. Romich walked to put runners on first and second with two outs. Kriegelstein, who entered the game in the top of the frame as a defensive replacement, then lined a base hit down the left field line that scored Musso and Romich, giving Le Moyne the walk-off win and series victory over Mercyhurst, 11-10.
Le Moyne will return to action on Tuesday at home against St. Bonaventure University at 3:00 p.m.
