SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Senior Martha Senko (Pine City, N.Y./Elmira Free Academy) pitched a complete game three-hit shutout in game one and Le Moyne rallied in game two to sweep a Northeast-10 Conference softball doubleheader with UMass Lowell at the Thomas J. Niland Athletic Complex. The Dolphins won game one 2-0 and came-from-behind for a 5-4 win in game two. The Dolphins improve to 28-13 on the season and 21-4 in the Northeast-10, while the River Hawks fall to 24-20, 19-9 in the conference.
In game one, the Dolphins jumped on the board with two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Lindsay Spaziani (Horseheads, N.Y./Horseheads) led off the inning with a single up the middle and later advanced to second on a wild pitch. Lyndsey Balinskas (Edison, N.J./Edison) followed with a bunt single. During the next batter, Spaziani and Balinskas each stole a base to put runners on second and third with no outs. Two batters later, Kristen DesLauriers (Liverpool, N.Y./Liverpool) doubled to straightaway center to plate Spaziani from third. Jennifer Farrelly (Latham, N.Y./Shaker) followed with a run-scoring fielder's choice to drive in Balinskas and give the Dolphins the only two runs they would need.
Senko scattered three hits over seven innings in earning her team-high ninth win of the season. She struck out five batters while allowing just one runner past second base.
In game two, the River Hawks struck for two runs in the fourth inning to take a 2-0 lead. Stacey Lajoie doubled home runners from first and second base to give the River Hawks the lead. Le Moyne responded with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game at two. Bailey Phillips (Rochester, N.Y./Greece Arcadia) started the rally with a one out single through the left side. After a groundout advanced Phillips to second, Farrelly singled down the left field line to plate the Dolphins first run. After a single by Emma Murphy (East Syracuse, N.Y./East Syracuse-Minoa) put runners on first and third, Caitlin O'Neill (Pittsford, N.Y./Our Lady of Mercy) singled through the right side to knot the score.
In the top of the sixth inning, the River Hawks plated two runs on four hits. Three consecutive singles to lead off the inning plated the first run. After a groundout, UMass Lowell scored their fourth run of the game on a single down the left field line. Once again, the Dolphins responded with two runs in the bottom half of the inning. Farrelly led off the inning with a double to the fence in right. Murphy then followed by blasting her team-high eighth home run of the season and 21st of her career to tie the score at four. The 21 home runs bests the previous Le Moyne career record of 20 held by Jennifer Winters '06.
In the seventh, Phillips led off with a single through the left side. She then proceeded to steal second base. DesLauriers then followed with a game-ending single to right center to drive in Phillips from second.
Farrelly started in the circle for the Dolphins and went six innings, allowing four runs on seven hits while striking out six batters. Caylinn Christophersen (Norwich, N.Y./Norwich) picked up her ninth win of the season by pitching a scoreless seventh inning.
Le Moyne travels to Rindge, N.H. on Tuesday to face Franklin Pierce in hopes of clinching the number one seed in next weekend's Northeast-10 Conference tournament.
