ASTON, Pa. – The Neumann University Baseball team, in the first game of the Atlantic East Conference tournament defeated Centenary University on Wednesday afternoon by a final score of 7-6 in 11 innings.
 
Thomas Carroll was 3 for 6 with a home run, a run batted in, and two runs scored. Andrew Brown and Brandon Colon were also 3 for 6. Brown had two RBI while Colon had a double, an RBI, and a run scored. Jack Valentine went a solid five innings, allowing two runs on four hits and two walks, striking out one. Chris Balshuweit earned the win in relief as he went 1.2 innings, giving up a hit and a walk, fanning one. His record is now 3-0.
 
The first two innings when scoreless but the offense got rolling in the third. With one away, Donovan Brooks was hit by a pitch and Anthony Rakotz blasted a two-run homer over the left field wall for his third of the season, giving Neumann a 2-0 lead. Centenary reacted with a two-run single in the fourth to tie the game.
 
After a scoreless fifth, the Cyclones took their first lead of the day with a solo home run in the sixth. In the bottom of the inning, Carroll smashed a solo shot over the centerfield fence for his seventh homer of the season, tying the game at three. Both teams had threats over the next three innings, but the game went to extra innings.
 
Centenary pulled ahead in the top of the 10^th as they picked up a two-run double and an RBI single to grab a 6-3 lead. AJ Nardo led off the bottom of the frame with a walk and moved to second on a Carroll single. Colon followed with a double to center, scoring Nardo and advancing Carroll to third. That was Colon's 17^th double of the season, tying him for the most in a single season in Neumann history. After Joe Boccio was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Brown singled through the left side of the infield to plate Carroll. Two batters later, Josh Finger flew to center field to score Colon, tying the game. The Knights reloaded the bases but could not bring in the winning run.
 
For the second straight inning, Nardo led off with a walk. With one out in the 11^th, Colon singled to move Nardo to second. Boccio followed with an infield hit, loading the bases. Brown became the hero as he lifted a single to left center, scoring Nardo, sending the crowd at Bruder Field into a frenzy.
 
With that win, Neumann(26-11) will now face Marymount University, who defeated Immaculata in the tournament opening game. The game is scheduled for Friday afternoon at 2:30pm at Shenandoah University in Winchester, Va.