HAMMOND, LA – Reigning NEC Pitcher of the Week, Kody Kerski (Waterbury, CT), was once again on top of his game Friday night, pitching a scoreless 5.1 innings and leading the Sacred Heart Pioneers to a 2-0 win over the Southeastern Louisiana University Lions at Alumni Field. Sacred Heart is now 3-2 on the season.

Kerski registered his second win of the road trip with an eight strikeout performance that set the table for yet another SHU win.

After Kerski, the Pioneer bullpen was also stellar for Head Coach Nick Giaquinto. Junior Dan Wertz (Cross River, NY) slipped the Pioneers out of a jam in the sixth, while freshman Jason Foley (North Bellmore, NY) allowed just one hit and struck out six in three shutout innings. Foley registered his second save of the season and has now pitched five consecutive scoreless innings to begin his SHU career. As a staff, Sacred Heart had 15 strikeouts.

With the tying runner at the dish in the ninth, Foley struck out Jacob Williams to end the game.

After a squandering a scoring chance in the second inning with back-to-back strikeouts, the Pioneers put one across in the third. Freshman Ted Shaw (Southington, CT) led off the inning with an infield hit, and then reached second base on a wild pitch. Following a Jayson Sullivan (Charlton, NY) strikeout, fellow freshman Zack Short (Hurley, NY) knocked Shaw in with a base hit up the middle to give SHU a 1-0 lead. Short leads the Pioneers with nine hits so far this season.

Sacred Heart added an insurance run in the ninth inning, as yet another freshman, Keith Klebart (Orange, CT), scored on a wild pitch. Klebart led off the inning with a double to right-center field.

Sacred Heart and Southeastern Louisiana are right back at it tomorrow afternoon for game two of the series at 2:00 pm.