Le Moyne College graduate student Dewey Roden (Sherrill/VVS) and Ithaca College sophomore Riley Brawdy (Rome/RFA) helped their teams survive and advance in the NCAA baseball playoffs this past weekend.

The double-elimination, NCAA Division II East Regionals in Delaware came down to a winner-take-all final between Le Moyne and host Goldey-Beacom College on Sunday, and it was Roden’s three hits - including a two-run homer in the first inning - and four RBIs that powered the Dolphins to a 6-5 victory.

Roden raised his team-leading batting average to .332. His four RBIs tied a career high, and the home run was his 11th of the season for a Le Moyne team now 34-20 and traveling to New Hampshire for this week’s Division II East Super Regionals.

Roden also homered for the fourth time in the last five games, and his 11-game hitting streak (24-for-47) includes nine doubles and 19 RBIs.

Roden homered and had an RBI single in Le Moyne’s 8-7, 10-inning win over Queens College. Sunday’s meeting between Le Moyne and Goldey-Beacom, meanwhile, was the third in as many days. On Friday, Roden had a double and a home run and the Dolphins got a nine-inning complete game from senior pitcher Sam DiGeorge (Canastota). DiGeorge, now 7-1, threw a four-hitter, did not walk a batter and struck out seven in the Dolphins’ 6-1 win.

In Saturday’s rematch, Le Moyne’s Zach Brush (New York Mills/Notre Dame) had two hits but Goldey-Beacom’s 7-5 elimination game win forced a rubber match on Sunday.

“I think the biggest thing today was responding,” Roden said. “(Saturday) we were in a dogfight and they came out on top, but today every time they threw a punch we were just ready to return it.”

In the NCAA Division III regionals at 22nd-ranked SUNY Cortland, Brawdy helped Liberty League champion Ithaca College extend its winning streak to seven games with a pair of victories over the host Red Dragons and another tournament sweep.

Brawdy had three hits and three RBIs in an 11-2 romp over 11th-ranked Eastern Connecticut State University, and a run-scoring double in a 5-3 win over Cortland. In Sunday’s regional finals, Brawdy capped a 15-0 Ithaca win over Cortland with an eighth-inning grand slam.

It was the sixth home run of the season for Brawdy, a second baseman with a .317 average and 42 RBIs. He has 16 RBIs during his 13-game hitting streak. Ithaca, now 31-14, plays in this weekend’s Division III Super Regionals at No. 4 Endicott College in Massachusetts.

Siena College’s Vincenzo Castronovo (Utica/Proctor) went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles in a 12-11, 14-inning loss to Quinnipiac. Castronovo ended his NCAA Division I season with a .242 batting average, six home runs and 23 RBIs.

Mohawk Valley Community College’s Joseph DiMasse (Utica/Proctor) was named to the NJCAA’s All-Region III Second Team. The sophomore catcher finished the season among the region’s top 20 with a team-leading .389 batting average (20th in Region III), 35 RBIs (16th), 11 doubles (12th), 32 walks (4th) and .559 on-base percentage (3rd).

Herkimer College relief ace Colin Skermont (Whitesboro) pitched the final 2 2/3 innings and improved to 5-1 when the Generals rallied past Hudson Valley Community College 8-7 in 10 innings. Skermont then pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings in Herkimer’s 9-8 victory over Erie Community College. 

Friend helps Herkimer reach softball nationals

Herkimer College’s Olivia Friend (Oneida) earned All-Tournament Team honors after she helped the Generals (27-7) reach the NJCAA Division III softball nationals for the 11th consecutive season.

Friend also was named to the All-Region III Second Team. The freshman infielder’s team-high .553 batting average ranks fourth in the region. She also leads Herkimer in runs scored (53), on-base percentage (.588), and slugging percentage (.702), and she has three home runs and 41 RBIs.

Friend was named Region III Athlete of the Week in mid-April, after batting .636 (14-for-22) with three doubles and nine RBIs during Herkimer’s 6-0 week. She enters the Division III nationals having hit safely in 16 of her last 17 games.

Fiorentino’s lacrosse season ends in NCAA quarters

The St. John Fisher University women’s lacrosse season ended with a 6-5 loss to unbeaten and third-ranked William Smith College in the NCAA Division III quarterfinals.

Sophomore Mary Fiorentino (New Hartford) scored her 29th goal of the season in the second quarter, and her assist helped give 19th-ranked St. John Fisher a 4-2 lead early in the second half. The Cardinals (17-3) had won 12 straight since a 10-9 regular-season loss to William Smith.

SUNY Morrisville freshman goalkeeper Rebecca Thomas (Marcy/Whitesboro) was named to the United East Women’s Lacrosse All-Sportsmanship Team. She started all 17 games for the Mustangs and finished with an 8-9 record and 125 saves.

Utica shot putter Fahy wins regional title

Utica University senior Jane Fahy (Oriskany) won the women’s shot put with a toss of 45 feet, 5 inches, during the All-Atlantic Region Track & Field Championships in Susquehanna, Pa. Brockport’s Sarah Crockett (Rome/RFA) was fourth in the shot put (43-6 1/2) and sixth in the discus throw (134-8).

Utica’s Mackenzie Mix (Camden) placed eighth with a personal-best time of 1:04.87 in the women’s 400-meter hurdles and was named the Empire 8 Conference Track Athlete of the Week.

Also earning All-Region honors were 110-meter hurdlers Nate Oczkowski (New Hartford) of Ithaca College and Erik Geier (Hamilton) of St. Lawrence University. 

Oczkowski placed seventh with a time of 14.89 during the All-Atlantic Region Championships. He also was named Ithaca College’s top Senior Male Scholar-Athlete after posting the highest grade-point average over the last seven semesters.

Geier placed sixth with a time of 14.85 at the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association regionals.