Syracuse, N.Y. – Freshmen Courtney Case (Pittsford, N.Y./Pittsford Mendon) and Sabrina Riley (Deer Park, N.Y./Deer Park) each had two hits and three RBI to lead the Le Moyne College softball team to a 7-4 win over Adelphi University on Thursday afternoon in the first game of a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader at the Thomas J. Niland Athletic Complex. The Panthers recorded an 11-2 victory in five innings in the nightcap.
The Panthers got on the scoreboard first with two-out solo home runs by Victoria Wink and Mary O'Reilly in the first and second innings, respectively.
The Dolphins answered the home run by O'Reilly with five runs on four hits and an Adelphi error in the bottom of the second. Senior designated player/pitcher Vanessa Utley (Monroe, Ga./Homeschooled) started the rally with a one-out single to the left side of the infield. After junior catcher Kristie Capuano (Smithtown, N.Y./Hauppauge) reached on a fielding error by the first baseman, senior right fielder Stephanie Ostrander (Gansevoort, N.Y./Schuylerville) singled down the left field line to load the bases. Following an out, Case drilled a triple to the gap in left center to drive in Utley, Capuano and Ostrander. After junior pinch-hitter Jillian Jacinth (, N.Y./) was hit by a pitch and replaced at first by senior second baseman Sarah Tram (Liverpool, N.Y./Liverpool), Riley singled to left field to plate Case and Tram, who had stolen second base.
Le Moyne extended its lead to 6-2 in the third on two hits. Sophomore left fielder Allison Reynolds (Penfield, N.Y./Penfield) led off with a single up the middle, stole second and then scored on a single up the middle by Capuano.
The Dolphins tacked on one run on two hits in the fourth inning. Case opened the frame with a double to left center and then came around to score on a one-out double to right center by Riley.
Adelphi chipped away at its deficit with a run on two hits with two outs in the fifth. Following a single to the second baseman by center fielder Jaclyn Binstock, Wink doubled down the left field line to drive in Binstock.
Wink completed the game's scoring with a two-out, solo home run to left field in the seventh inning.
Senior Sarah Harrison (Canandaigua, N.Y./Cobleskill-Richmondville) earned her fourth straight victory by striking out nine batters, while scattering nine hits. In addition to the two-hit performances by Case and Riley, Utley also recorded a pair of hits. Lindsay Mapes took the loss for the Panthers after allowing seven runs (two earned) on two hits over five innings. Wink finished the game 4-for-4 with three runs batted in and two runs scored.
In the nightcap, the Panthers took the lead in the first inning on Wink's third two-out solo home run to left center of the day.
The Dolphins knotted the score at one apiece on three hits in the bottom of the frame. Case led off with a single through the right side and then took second on a single down the third base line by Tram. After a groundout moved each runner up a base, sophomore third baseman Kirsten Trotta (Wilmington, Del./Alexis I. Dupont) singled to the shortstop to drive in Case.
Adelphi blew the game open with seven runs on four hits in the top of the second inning. After left fielder Niki Barbato walked and catcher Stephanie Barbaro singled to center around an out, Barbato slid in safely at the plate on a bunt in front of the plate by right fielder Courtney Sullivan. Second baseman Melaney Reichelt followed with single to center to knock in Barbaro. Following a bunt single by shortstop Danielle Cutuli to load the bases, Binstock lifted a sacrifice fly to right to drive in Sullivan for a 4-1 lead. After Wink was intentionally walked to load the bases and Reichelt raced home on a passed ball, pitcher/designated player Katie Andrews blasted a three-run home run to center field.
Le Moyne got one of the runs back in the bottom of the inning. After Capuano reached on a wild pitch on a strikeout, Case drilled a double to right center to knock in Capuano.
The Panthers scored three runs on three hits in the fourth to complete the game's scoring. Following one-out singles by Cutuli and Binstock and an intentional walk to Wink to load the bases, Cutuli scored on a sacrifice fly to left field by Andrews. Barbato followed with a double to center field to drive in Binstock and Wink.
Freshman Chelsea Claflin (Lacona, N.Y./Sandy Creek) suffered her second loss of the season after yielding eight runs on five hits over one and two-thirds innings pitched. Case tallied two of Le Moyne's six hits in the contest to extend her streak of reaching base to 24 games. Andrews picked up the victory for Adelphi by striking out six over five innings, while allowed six hits.
Le Moyne (18-10, 9-3 NE-10, 6-2 SW), which had its eight-game win streak snapped with the loss in game two, is back on the diamond on Saturday for a doubleheader at the University of New Haven at 12:00 p.m.
