NEW BRITAIN, Conn. – For the third consecutive game a big inning, this time a four-run third, provided more than enough run support for the pitching staff, as John Sostarich's six scoreless frames highlighted Sacred Heart's ninth shutout of the season and clinched the Pioneers eighth straight Northeast Conference Tournament appearance with an 8-0 blanking of Mount St. Mary's on Sunday afternoon at New Britain Stadium.

The shutout secured a second four-game series sweep of the season for SHU, who has now won at least four in a row on four separate occasions this year. The Pioneers improve to 17-6 in the NEC and stay two and a half games behind first place Bryant, while their lead for second remains at five games with just eight league games remaining.

For Sostarich, it was his second scoreless outing of at least six innings this season, as he threw 7.2 shutout frames in a win at Villanova on March 19. It capped a dominating performance by the Sacred Heart pitching staff over the weekend, as the Pioneers allowed just two earned runs in 32 innings of play. The left-hander gave up just three hits and struck out three. He battled control issues, walking four, but would only allow three runners to reach scoring position.

After Alex Perry opened the scoring with a two-out RBI single in the second, six of the first seven Pioneers to come to the plate in the third reached base beginning with Ted Shaw's walk. Following an out in the next at bat, Jayson Sullivan and Victor Sorrento recorded back-to-back RBI base hits, a single and double, and Dan Schock walked, leading to a pitching change. This did not halt the momentum for Sacred Heart, as Zack Short walked to load the bases for Keith Klebart, who delivered the big blow with a two-RBI single.

Those were two of a game-high three RBI's for Klebart, as he followed Zack Short's RBI triple in the fifth with a fielder's choice when the Mount attempted to throw out Short unsuccessfully at home. Later on, Schock, who scored on Short's triple after leading off with a walk, completed the scoring with a two-out single in the bottom of the eighth.

Schock was one four Pioneers to reach base three times, as both he and Short finished 1-3 with two walks, two runs and an RBI. Also reaching three times were Jesus Medina and Sullivan, who both went 2-4 with a walk and run scored. James Cooksey came on in relief of Sostarich to begin the seventh, and despite loading the bases, worked out of Mount St. Mary's(11-33, 8-20 NEC) most significant threat with a fly out. Nick Rubino made his first appearace of the season with a scoreless eighth before Baylor Sundahl came on to complete the shutout in the ninth.

SHU takes a break from NEC play on Tuesday, staying in-state for a 3.p.m first pitch at Hartford on Tuesday, before traveling to Wagner for a four-game series that begins on Thursday.