Leiningen provided the Pioneers with a much-needed lift during the first half of Sunday’s NEC doubleheader. With Sacred Heart having dropped the first two in its NEC weekend series with Long Island, and five of its first six league games, Leiningen took the ball and stopped the slide. The freshman lefty logged a complete-game victory that prevented the possibility of a LIU sweep. Leiningen spun 7.0 innings of three-hit ball, allowing one unearned run. He struck out three and walked three in the 4-1 Game 3 victory. It was the first collegiate win for the rookie southpaw who had allowed only one earned run in 10.0 innings against SEC opponents earlier in the year but only had a save and no-decision to show for it. The performance lowered Leiningen’s ERA to 2.77 and opposing batters are hitting only .183 against the lefty.