NEW BRITAIN, Conn. (Interstat) — Le Moyne erupted for seven runs in the third inning and never looked back, routing Central Connecticut 16-5 on Friday in the first game of a Northeast Conference doubleheader at Balf–Savin Field.

The Dolphins improved to 20-24 overall, while the Blue Devils fell to 17-26. Le Moyne pounded out 18 hits, matching its highest total of the season, and sent 14 batters to the plate during the decisive third frame.

Luke VanMarter turned in a peculiar but effective start for Le Moyne, working six innings without allowing a hit. He surrendered three earned runs — all in the third — and struck out four. VanMarter had allowed five hits and four earned runs in a win over Maryland-Eastern Shore on May 8 and was knocked for six hits and five earned in a loss to Stonehill on May 2.

Le Moyne jumped ahead 2-0 in the first. Paulie Goodness singled, then after being caught stealing, Isaac Brozon walked. Jack Cannon doubled, and Brozon scored on an Adam Sullivan groundout. Cooper Romich followed with an RBI single.

The Dolphins added two more in the second. Derek Diaz walked, moved to second on a passed ball and advanced to third on Ethan Farina’s walk. Goodness walked to load the bases, and Cannon lined a two-run single to left.

Central Connecticut’s best chance came in the bottom of the second, but VanMarter worked around a single by Michael Quiros, and the Blue Devils left a runner stranded.

Le Moyne broke the game open in the third. Romich walked, Robert Wegrzyn singled and Diaz walked to load the bases. Mike Whelehan singled for one run, Farina walked for another and Goodness walked for a third. Isaac Brozon was hit by a pitch to force in a run, Cannon walked to plate another, and Sullivan singled to center for a sixth run. Romich then lifted a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Brozon.

The Dolphins led 11-0 after three. They pushed one run across in the fourth on a fielder’s choice by Brozon, one in the fifth on an RBI double by Whelehan, and three in the sixth. Sullivan tripled to left, scoring Cannon and Brozon, and Romich doubled to right to bring home Sullivan.

Central Connecticut scratched out five runs. In the third, Gabe Pitts singled, moved to second on a groundout and scored on Antonio Ducatelli’s single to right. The Blue Devils added two in the fourth on Ryan Scialabba’s two-run double down the left-field line. In the seventh, Louis Jordan doubled, Ducatelli singled, and the Blue Devils scored on a sacrifice fly by Owen Arias and another sacrifice fly by Quiros.

Le Moyne’s offense was balanced. Cannon went 3 for 5 with three RBI and a double. Sullivan finished 2 for 4 with four RBI, a triple and a walk. Whelehan was 3 for 5 with two RBI and two doubles. Romich went 2 for 3 with three RBI and a double. Brozon added an RBI and scored three times.

For Central Connecticut, Ducatelli was 3 for 4 with an RBI. Quiros had two hits and an RBI. Scialabba drove in two runs. Bryce Meder pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief, allowing three hits.

The game was the first of two Friday, and the teams had met Thursday with Central Connecticut winning 0-0? That appears to be a typo in provided data, but Le Moyne lost a shutout on Thursday. Le Moyne had dropped its previous game at Albany 20-3 on May 12.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Le Moyne 8, Central Connecticut 4. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Central Connecticut with a 60.10 percent probability to win.