BRIDGEPORT, Conn – The Sacred Heart Pioneers smacked a season-high 17 hits and scored a season-high 12 runs in cruising to a 12-1 win over the LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds Friday afternoon at the Ballpark at Harbor Yard. With the win, the Pioneers snap a four-game losing streak and improve to 6-3 in the NEC this season and 19-16 overall.

Senior right-hander Kody Kerski (Waterbury, CT) improved to 7-1 on the season, allowing one run in six innings of work, while striking out seven. Kerski now has a 1.32 ERA in 61.1 innings this season. Senior Nick Leiningen (Millwood, NY) pitched two scoreless innings out of the bullpen, while James Cooksey (Norwalk, CT) closed the door in the ninth.

Senior captain Derick Horn (Valatie, NY) went three-for-four at the dish with a game-high four RBI. Freshman Zack Short (Hurley, NY) also had three hits and scored three runs.

After going down 1-2-3 in the first, the Pioneers' bats awoke in the second inning. Base hits by Short and Matt Charmello (Rossmoor, CA) started things with one out. After reaching second and third on a ground out, Short and Charmello both trotted home on a two-out single by Horn, giving SHU the 2-0 lead.

Sacred Heart broke things wide open in the following inning, stringing together seven hits and scoring seven runs. Four consecutive hits started the inning for SHU, beginning with a triple to left center by sophomore Jayson Sullivan (Charlton, NY). Sophomore Jesus Medina (New York, NY) and senior Conor McEvoy (Watertown, CT) followed with RBI singles. After Short singled to put McEvoy on third, sophomore Victor Sorrento hammered a base knock to right field to put SHU up 5-0. After a Blackbird pitching change, Horn and Sullivan welcomed left-hander Chance Fuglistahler with back-to-back two-run doubles and the Pioneers were up 9-0.

Sullivan racked up another RBI in the sixth inning with a fielder's choice to score freshman Ted Shaw (Southington, CT) from third.

Freshman Jake Friar (Westport, MA) got in on the action in the eighth, capping off the Pioneers scoring with a RBI single to score McEvoy and put SHU ahead 12-1.

SHU and LIU Brooklyn will be back at it tomorrow afternoon for a doubleheader starting at noon at the Ballpark at Harbor Yard.

Notes: The Pioneers had scored a combined ten runs in the previous four games.