Briarcliff, N.Y. – Shortstop Jeane Drury recorded four hits and five RBI to lead Pace University to a sweep of a Northeast-10 Conference Southwest Division doubleheader over the Le Moyne College softball team on Sunday afternoon at Pace Field. The Setters won the opener, 10-5, and took the nightcap, 9-4.
Le Moyne opened the scoring with two runs on two hits in the bottom of the first inning. Sophomore shortstop
Courtney Case (Pittsford, N.Y./Pittsford Mendon) drew a walk to open the frame and moved to second on a single to the shortstop by junior right fielder
Kirsten Trotta (Wilmington, Del./Alexis I. Dupont). After Case was retired at third as sophomore center fielder
Sabrina Riley (Deer Park, N.Y./Deer Park) reached on a fielder's choice, sophomore third baseman
Kelly Mascari (Syracuse, N.Y./Westhill/Buffalo) singled down the left field line to drive in Trotta. Riley then scored on a ground out by freshman designated player/pitcher
Alexis Eastman (Endicott, N.Y./Union-Endicott).
Pace evened the score in the next half inning on three hits and one Le Moyne error. Catcher Nikole Larm led off with a single and moved to second as third baseman Amanda Limon reached on a throwing error by the third baseman. After center fielder Jordan Chillinsky reached on a bunt single to load the bases, right fielder Tara Bernstein singled down the left field line to knock in Larm. Drury was then hit by a pitch to force in Limon.
The Setters then registered five runs on six hits in the third inning. With one out, Larm blasted a solo home run to left field. Limon followed with a single to right field and took second on a sacrifice bunt. Bernstein then connected on a two-run homer to left center. Following singles by Drury and left fielder Larissa Labs, first baseman Natalie Gellos singled through the left side to plate Drury and force a Le Moyne pitching change. Labs then raced home on a wild pitch to make the score 7-2.
Pace added three runs on two hits and one Le Moyne error in the fourth. Second baseman Ashley Lew reached on an error by the first baseman to start the inning and then advanced to third on a double by Larm. After Limon was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Lew and Larm scored on wild pitches. Following a walk and two outs, Limon scored on a double to left center by Labs.
The Dolphins stayed alive with a pair of runs in the fifth. After Case drew a walk to start the frame, Trotta launched a home run to center field.
Le Moyne finished off the scoring in the bottom of the seventh on a one-out solo home run to right center by Riley, who has hit four of her seven career home runs in seven career games against the Setters.
Junior
Toni Secreti (Baldwinsville, N.Y./Westhill/Herkimer C.C.) took the loss in the circle after yielding seven runs (six earned) on 10 hits over two and two-thirds innings, while striking out two. Jaclyn Flores earned the win for the Setters after going the distance, while allowing five runs on six hits.
In the nightcap, the Setters got on the scoreboard first with one run in the top of the first. Labs singled to the shortstop with one out, but she was retired at second as Gellos reached on a fielder's choice. Designated player Surina Sandhu followed with a double to right field to knock in Gellos from second.
Le Moyne took the lead with two runs in the third inning. Junior second baseman
Meagan Malarkey (Endicott, N.Y./Union-Endicott/Broome C.C.) led off with a single to second base and came around to score on a two-run home run to left field by Trotta. The home run was the 14th of Trotta's career, which ties her for 11th on the program's all-time list.
Pace regained the lead with four runs on two hits in the fourth. Lew was hit by a pitch with one out and moved to second on a single down the left field line by Limon. After Chillinsky walked to load the bases and Lew was retired at home as Bernstein reached on a fielder's choice, Drury blasted a grand slam to center field.
The Setters added one run in the fifth as Gellos led off with a double to left and came around to score one batter later on a double to center by Sandhu.
The Dolphins pulled within 6-4 with two runs on three hits in the bottom of the fifth. Senior pinch-hitter
Jillian Jacinth (West Babylon, N.Y./Babylon) was hit by a pitch to open the inning and then replaced at first base by Malarkey. After Case doubled to left center and Riley walked with one out to load the bases, Mascari singled down the left field line to drive in Malarkey. Following a Pace pitching change and an out, junior left fielder
Allison Reynolds (Penfield, N.Y./Penfield) singled to the shortstop to plate Case.
Pace tallied three runs on two home runs in the sixth inning. Bernstein led off the frame with a blast to left field. After Labs walked with one out, Gellos drilled a two-run homer to left field.
Eastman suffered her first career loss after allowing six runs on 10 hits over six and two-thirds innings over two stints in the circle. Kaitlynn Nelson earned the win after yielding four runs on six hits over four and one-third innings, while Caitlin McCann earned a save after tossing two and two-thirds scoreless innings.
Le Moyne (7-4, 1-2 NE-10, 1-2 SW) returns to the diamond on Wednesday at the College of Saint Rose at 3:00 p.m.
