Syracuse, N.Y. - Sophomore left fielder Pat Wiese (Fayetteville, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy) drove in the tying run and scored the winning run as the #20/21 Le Moyne College baseball team rallied for a 5-4 win over Southern Connecticut State in the first round of the Northeast-10 Conference Championship on Wednesday afternoon at Dick Rockwell Field.
With the victory, the Dolphins (36-12-1) advance to the four-team, double elimination portion of the championship that will be hosted by Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire Friday through Sunday. Le Moyne will play the host Hawks on Friday at 12:30 p.m.
After two scoreless innings, Southern Connecticut scored four runs on five hits. Catcher Greg Pacelli led off the third with a single up the middle. After a strikeout, third baseman T.K. Kiernan and second baseman Kyle Cummings had consecutive singles to center to load the bases. Third team all-conference first baseman Ryan Geffert then blasted a grand slam over the fence in right field.
The Dolphins took the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning with five runs on four hits and two Southern Connecticut errors. With two outs, first team all-conference center fielder Brett Botsford (Baldwinsville, N.Y./C.W. Baker) drew a walk, stole second and advanced to third on a wild throw by the catcher. First team all-conference right fielder Zack Wiley (Toluca Woods, Calif./Crespi) then singled through the left side to drive in Botsford. After second team all-conference third baseman Matt Marra (Brewerton, N.Y./Central Square) was hit by a pitch, junior shortstop Ryan Mahoney (Clay, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) singled through the left side to plate Wiley and knock SCSU starter Daniel Murdoch out of the game. On a 2-1 pitch from reliever Rocco Cundari, Wiese singled up the middle to drive in Marra and Mahoney. After Wiese stole second, redshirt junior designated hitter Matthew Ciraco (White Plains, N.Y./Perkiomen School) struck out, but reached first on a wild pitch, while Wiese raced home for the go-ahead run as the catcher threw the ball into right field trying to throw out Ciraco at first.
First team all-conference pitcher Ed Kohout (Clarence, N.Y./Clarence/Genesee C.C.) improved to 7-1 as a starter after striking out six batters over six innings on the mound, while yielding the four runs on nine hits. Third team all-conference closer Kevin Carroll (Jamesville, N.Y./Fabius-Pompey) picked up his eighth save of the year after tossing a scoreless ninth inning. Cundari suffered the loss after giving up a run on two hits in two innings of work.
**Courtesy Le Moyne Athletics**
