Rindge, N.H. – Sophomore third baseman Kelcie Cashel (Lacona, N.Y./Sandy Creek) had six hits and scored five runs to lead the Le Moyne College softball team to a mercy-rule wins over Franklin Pierce in Northeast-10 Conference action on Wednesday afternoon at FPU Softball Field. The Dolphins took the opener, 11-3, in five innings and downed the Ravens, 19-4, in six innings in the nightcap.
The Dolphins scored three times in each of the first two innings. Cashel opened the game by singling through the left side. She then advanced to second on a throwing error by the catcher on a pickoff attempt and moved to third as senior left fielder/pitcher Bailey Phillips (Rochester, N.Y./Greece-Arcadia) reached on a dropped fly ball by the shortstop. Senior second baseman Kelly Schweikert (Rochester, N.Y./Spencerport) followed by driving in Cashel as she reached on a throwing error by the shortstop. Phillips then scored on a sacrifice fly to right field by sophomore catcher/third baseman Morgan Edmondson (Johnson City, N.Y./Johnson City), with Schweikert taking third on a throwing error by the right fielder. After sophomore shortstop Barb Shea (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa) walked, Schweikert scored as Shea was thrown out trying to steal second.
In the second inning, freshman designated player/left fielder Demetra Kermidas (Binghamton, N.Y./Chenango Valley) started a two-out rally by homering down the right field line. Cashel then doubled down the left field line and came around to score on a single through the left side by Phillips. Schweikert followed with a double down the left field line to knock in Phillips.
The Ravens got three runs back in the bottom of the second inning. Rachel Baxter singled to center with two outs and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Kristen Tracy and Kiley Molinari then drew consecutive walks to load the bases. After Aimee Lamoureux doubled to right field to drive in Baxter and Tracy, Molinari scored on a wild pitch.
In the third, the Dolphins scored their final five runs on four hits and two errors. Senior right fielder Danielle VanGorder (Vestal, N.Y./Vestal) doubled down the left field line with one out and sophomore first baseman Leah Ford (Pulaski, N.Y./Pulaski) followed with a double to center to move VanGorder to third. Junior center fielder Amanda Daum (Auburn, N.Y./Auburn) followed with a single to left to drive in VanGorder. Following a Franklin Pierce pitching change, Kermidas walked to load the bases. Cashel then drove in Ford as she reached second on a dropped fly ball by the right fielder, which also allowed Daum to score. Two batters later, Schweikert doubled to center to plate Kermidas and Cashel.
Junior righty Jenna Vanacore (Hicksville, N.Y./Holy Trinity) earned her ninth victory after allowing three runs on three hits over five innings, while striking out seven batters. Lindsay Hodges took the loss after giving up nine runs (six earned) on 10 hits in four and one-third innings.
The Dolphins exploded out of gates in game two scoring six times on five hits. Cashel drew a walk, stole second and scored on a double up the middle by Phillips. Following a groundout, Edmondson singled to right to plate Phillips and came around to score on a double by Kermidas. After Shea was hit by a pitch, VanGorder singled through the left side to drive in Kermidas. Two batters later, Ford doubled to left center to knock in Shea and Daum, who reached on a fielder's choice.
After Lamoureux singled and scored on three wild pitches in the bottom of the first inning, the Dolphins added four runs on three hits in the third inning to extend their lead to 10-1. Following a walk by Edmondson to open the frame, Kermidas tripled to right center to plate her. After Shea reached base as Kermidas was retired at home and VanGorder walked, Ford blasted a three-run home run to center field.
Franklin Pierce scored twice in the bottom of the inning on two hits. Lamoureux doubled down the right field line and Jayme Bilafer singled to center to open the frame. After Jessica Furtado walked to load the bases, Meaghan O'Neal drove in Lamoureux with a sacrifice fly. Bilafer then scored on a wild pitch.
The Dolphins increased their lead to 11-3 with a run on one run and an error in the fifth inning. Ford led off by reaching third on a dropped fly ball by the right fielder. Cashel then doubled to left to score Ford.
The Ravens got the run back in the bottom of the fifth before the Dolphins blew the game open with eight runs in the sixth inning. Griffin scored for Franklin Pierce on a single by O'Neal after reaching on a fielder's choice.
After Kermidas opened the sixth by drawing a walk, Shea blasted a two-run homer to left center. Following a fly out and a single to center by Daum, Ford drilled a two-run homer to center field. Cashel then doubled down the left field line and Phillips reached on a fielding error by the third baseman and stole second. Sophomore pinch-hitter Kristin Brown (Putnam Valley, N.Y./Putnam Valley) followed with a single to second base to plate Cashel, while Phillips scored on a fielding error by the second baseman. Two batters later, Kermidas grounded out to the second baseman to drive in Brown, who had advanced to second when freshman Fran Kiernan (Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y./Hendrick Hudson) was hit by a pitch and moved to third on a wild pitch. Shea then singled through the left side to knock in Kiernan from third.
Phillips picked up her second career victory by scattering nine hits over six innings, while striking out one batter. Jessica Wiley suffered the loss after giving up six runs on five hits and a walk in one inning. Cashel, Kermidas and Ford each had three hits in the game, with Ford driving in seven runs.
Le Moyne (17-17, NE-10 15-9), which scored its most runs in a single game since a 25-2 win over Bentley on April 14, 2007, posted at least 10 runs in each game of a doubleheader for the first time since defeating Franklin Pierce 11-0 and 13-2 on April 13, 2008. The Dolphins return to action on Thursday at Saint Rose at 3:00 p.m.
