SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The Le Moyne College softball team swept Southern New Hampshire University in the Northeast-10 Conference opener for both teams. The Dolphins won the first game 2-1 and topped the Penman 9-6 in game two. Le Moyne improves to 9-9, 2-0 in the Northeast-10 on the season, while Southern New Hampshire falls to 2-4, 0-2 in the Northeast-10.

In the first game of the afternoon, it remained scoreless until Southern New Hampshire plated a run in the top of the fifth inning. After a one-out double to right by Tara Moriarty and a sacrifice bunt, Felicia Brum singled through the left side to plate the first run of the game. Le Moyne tied the score in the bottom of the fifth on a solo blast to straight-away centerfield by senior centerfielder Lindsay Spaziani (Horseheads, N.Y./Horseheads). Le Moyne scored the winning run in the bottom of the sixth on two hits, a walk and a sacrifice bunt. With one out, shortstop Kelly Schweikert (Rochester, N.Y./Spencerport) singled to left center. Freshman Danielle VanGorder (Vestal, N.Y./Vestal) advanced her to second with a sacrifice bunt and junior Kortney Meadows (Orchard Park, N.Y./Orchard Park) followed with a walk. Spaziani then drilled a 2-0 pitch left center to score Schweikert from second.

In the second game, Le Moyne jumped out to a 5-1 lead through three innings. With the Penman leading 1-0 in the bottom of the first, sophomore Lyndsey Balinskas (Edison, N.J./Edison) launched her first career home run over the left field fence to tie the score at one. In the second inning, Spaziani unknotted the score with a single down the right field line to score Bailey Phillips (Rochester, N.Y./Greece-Arcadia) from third. Balinskas followed with a single up the middle to knock in Meadows from third. Southern New Hampshire scored one run in the fourth and four in the fifth to take a 6-5 lead.

The Dolphins responded with four of their own in the bottom of the sixth to deliver the 9-6 final. Junior Sarah Reed (DeWitt, N.Y./Jamesville-DeWitt) opened the inning with a single, senior catcher Kristen DesLauriers (Liverpool, N.Y./Liverpool) was hit by a pitch, and Emma Murphy (East Syracuse, N.Y./East Syracuse-Minoa) was walked to load the bases. With Jennifer Farrelly (Latham, N.Y./Shaker) batting, Reed scored on a wild pitch to knot the score at six. On a 3-2 pitch, Farrelly cleared the bases with her first home run of the season over the fence in left.

Farrelly picked up the win in relief of Martha Senko (Pine City, N.Y./Elmira Free Academy) in game one to even her record to 2-2 on the season. Senko went five innings, allowing one run on four hits while striking out one. Farrelly gave up one hit in two innings of work. 

Caylinn Christophersen (Norwich, N.Y./Norwich) was the victor in game two in relief of Reed. Reed allowed five runs (four earned) in four innings and struck out four. Christophersen struck out six in three innings, giving up one run on two hits to pick up her team-leading third win of the season.

Le Moyne returns to action Sunday in a doubleheader with Saint Anselm College. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m., but could moved up due weather.