Brookville, N.Y. — Junior first baseman
Cooper Romich (
North Chili, N.Y./Churchville-Chili) drove in the game-winning run in the top of the 14th inning to give the Le Moyne College baseball team a 5-4 victory over LIU on Friday afternoon, completing a game suspended Thursday at LIU Baseball Stadium.
The game was Le Moyne's longest since a 15-inning home contest against Pace University on April 16, 2016, which the Dolphins also won 5-4.
Romich finished the game with two RBI and brought home the winning run on an RBI single. Senior shortstop
Adam Sullivan (
Syracuse, N.Y./Marcellus) and sophomore catcher
Robert Wegrzyn (
North Tonawanda, N.Y./Niagara-Wheatfield) each added an RBI single for the Dolphins, and senior center fielder
Paulie Goodness (
Palmyra, N.Y./Palmyra-Macedon Finger Lakes Community College) had a game-high three hits, including a double, and one stolen base.
Redshirt junior right-handed pitcher
AJ Petraitis (Kings Park, N.Y./Kings Park) made the start for Le Moyne, pitching 7.0 innings of work, allowing four runs and striking out a season-high seven batters. Senior right-hander
Luke Connors (
Brampton, Ontario/Heart Lake/Monroe Community College) pitched 5.0 innings in relief of Petraitis, striking out three batters and allowing no runs. Redshirt sophomore
Eric Swiencicki (
Lancaster, N.Y./St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute) finished the final 2.0 innings on the mound, allowing no runs, striking out three batters and recording the win.
Goodness doubled to leadoff the game, and freshman left fielder
Isaac Brozon (
Aurora, N.Y./Southern Cayuga) was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second with no outs. Both runners advanced on a ground out before Romich reached on an error, allowing Goodness to score and giving Le Moyne an early 1-0 lead.
Third baseman Noah Sorensen walked to lead off the bottom of the first inning, and first baseman Jake Kelleher hit a double to score Sorensen and tie the game at 1-1. Kelleher advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly by right fielder Mike Polubinski to put the Sharks in front 2-1.
Goodness led off the top of the third with a single, and stole second base later in the inning. Sullivan lined a two-out single up the middle to score Goodness and tie the game at 2-2.
Shortstop Ryan Rivera doubled to lead off the bottom of the third inning, and later advanced to third on a passed ball. Polubinski lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to score Rivera and give the Sharks a 3-2 lead. Fairchild then reached on a two-out single, and stole second before advancing to third on a wild pitch. Centerfielder Nick Matson followed with an RBI single to make it 4-2.
Brozon was hit by a pitch to lead off the top of the eighth inning, and junior right fielder
Jack Cannon (Webster, N.Y./Webster Schroeder) hit an infield single to put runners on first and second with no outs. Sullivan moved the runners on a sacrifice bunt before Romich lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to score Brozon and make it 4-3. Wegrzyn then lined a single up the middle to score Cannon and tie the game at 4-4.
Catcher Joseph Durso hit a one-out double off of the left field wall in the bottom of the ninth inning, putting the winning run in scoring position for the Sharks, but Connors retired the next two batters to send the game into extra innings.
Sullivan worked a two-out walk in the top of the 10th inning, but the Dolphins were unable to push a run across.
Sophomore designated hitter
Derek Diaz (White Plains, N.Y./Iona Prep) singled and junior second baseman
Mike Whelehan (Hilton, N.Y./Hilton) walked to put runners on first and second in the top of the 11th inning for the Dolphins. Goodness later reached on a two-out infield single to load the bases, but the next batter grounded out to third base to end the frame.
Fairchild lined a one-out single up the middle in the bottom of the 11th. He later stole second to get into scoring position, but Connors got the next two batters to fly out to end the inning.
Sorensen reached on an error with two outs in the bottom of the 12th inning. He attempted to steal second, but Wegrzyn's throw was in time to end the inning.
Cannon singled with one out in the top of the 14th inning and later reached second on a stolen base. Romich hit a two-out RBI single to bring Cannon home and put Le Moyne in front 5-4.
Two walks and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases for the Sharks with one out in the bottom of the 14th inning, but Swiencicki struck out the next two batters to secure the 5-4 victory for Le Moyne.
