BRONX – The Sacred Heart baseball offense generated a season-high 14 hits, while the bullpen allowed two runs over 5.1 innings to help the Pioneers earn their first victory of the season at Fordham Saturday night, 6-4. Zack Short led SHU with three hits and three runs, while four others collected at least two hits each, including Victor Sorrento and Jake Friar, who both added two RBI's. Jesus Medina and Matt Cooney combined to allow only one run each in 2.1 and 3.0 innings, respectively, while striking out 12. Medina received the win and Cooney was credited with the save in his first career collegiate appearance, as Sacred Heart is now 1-10. The Rams were led by Jason Lundy's two hits and two runs in the loss, which drops them to 4-11.

Trailing 2-1 entering the sixth, the Pioneers got back to back clutch two out hits from Friar and Kenny Byram to plate three and take the lead for good. Short started it all with his single to right field before advancing to second on an error. Keith Klebart and Sorrento followed a strikeout with a walk and single to load the bases with one out. Yet another strikeout brought Friar to the plate with two outs. The sophomore catcher delivered with a two RBI single to right field, bringing in Short and Klebart. Byram followed that with a two-out RBI single of his own to plate Sorrento and give the Pioneers the 4-2 lead.

Fordham quickly answered in the bottom half the inning. Medina, who relieved starter Robbie Maguire with two outs in the fourth, gave up his lone run in relief when the Rams put together consecutive two out hits. Ryan Mahoney's double down the right field line brought Fordham within one.  After walking the next hitter to give the Rams another scoring opportunity with two on, Medina got out of the jam with a strikeout.

Just as Fordham had responded in the sixth, SHU did so itself in the top of the seventh, ultimately scoring the winning runs in the frame. Again it was Short who led off with a single. The next hitter struck out, but Short got into scoring position himself by stealing second. For the second straight at bat, Klebart reached, this time via a single, to set up another RBI situation for Sorrento. Again Sorrento came through, squeezing Short in with his bunt. With Klebart on second, Dan Schock provided some insurance with his two out single to stretch the Pioneer advantage to 6-3.

Cooney came in for Medina in the seventh, striking out the first batter before allowing a single. That runner reached second following a wild pitch to give the Rams a runner in scoring position. Mark Donadio delivered with a single to cut the deficit to two. Cooney got into more trouble by walking the next hitter, but was able to get out of the jam by inducing consecutive groundouts. He would not allow a runner past second from there on, allowing no hits and striking out four in the eighth and ninth to earn the save. The lone blemishes were a walk and hit by pitch.

Jayson Sullivan and Byram were the other two Pioneers to record two hits. Maguire's final line was 3.2 innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits and four walks. Medina and Cooney combined to allow only five hits in their 5.1 innings.

Each team threated in the first as SHU's Alex Perry reached third after getting hit by a pitch and Maguire worked out of a bases loaded jam. Both also had runners reach third in their respective half innings of the third. All three runs prior to the sixth came in the fourth. Short doubled down the line to leadoff the inning before being brought in by a Sorrento single with the bases loaded. Ram starter Jimmy Murphy got out of the frame after that, inducing consecutive ground balls, including a double play to send the game to the bottom half of the fourth. In the bottom half, Fordham also loaded the bases with consecutive singles and a two out walk. Successive walks issued by Maguire first and then Medina brought in the Ram's first two runs. Medina ended the threat with a strikeout.

Sacred Heart returns to Fordham tomorrow for a 12 pm first pitch with Delaware.