Syracuse, N.Y. – The Le Moyne College softball team rallied for three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to defeat Southern Connecticut State University, 4-2, on Sunday afternoon in Northeast-10 Conference Southwest Division action at the Thomas J. Niland Athletic Complex.

The Owls jumped on the Dolphins right from the start by plating two runs on two hits and one Le Moyne error in the first inning. Center fielder Arianna Medeiros reached on an error by the shortstop on the second pitch of the game. After a bunt single by right fielder Brooke Franco and a pop out, designated player Samantha Groskritz drew a walk on six pitches to load the bases. Shortstop Jodi DiSanto followed with a double to right center to drive in Medeiros and Franco.

Le Moyne cut into its deficit in the bottom of the third with one run on two hits. Senior left fielder Allison Reynolds (Penfield, N.Y./Penfield) led off with a single to left field and then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Junior shortstop Courtney Case (Pittsford, N.Y./Pittsford) followed with a single to the shortstop to drive in Reynolds.

The Dolphins used four hits in the bottom of the sixth to score their three runs. After sophomore second baseman Tess Andrews (Camillus, N.Y./West Genesee) singled to right field with one out, sophomore pitcher Alexis Eastman (Endicott, N.Y./Union-Endicott) doubled to left field to move Andrews to third. Junior catcher Emily Bagley (Lancaster, N.Y./Lancaster) then lifted a sacrifice fly to right field to knock in senior pinch-runner Meagan Malarkey (Endicott, N.Y./Union-Endicott/Broome C.C.) with the tying run. Reynolds then singled to the shortstop to plate junior pinch-runner Morgan Hope (Binghamton, N.Y./Chenango Valley) with the go-ahead run. After sophomore pinch-hitter Rachelle Walters (North Syracuse, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) walked, Case singled to right field to drive in Reynolds for a 4-2 lead.

Eastman, who retired the Owls in order in the seventh to seal the victory, struck out four en route to earning her conference-best 13th win of the season, while yielding the two runs (one earned) and scattering five hits. Case and Reynolds each had three of Le Moyne's 10 hits. Kelsey Cockrill, who entered the game 7-2 in her career against the Dolphins, suffered the loss after giving up four runs on 10 hits over six innings, while striking out three.

Le Moyne (23-13, 11-7 NE-10, 8-6 SW) is back in action on Monday with a doubleheader at The College of Saint Rose at 4:00 p.m. With the Dolphins winning both ends of the teams' doubleheader in Syracuse on March 30, the Dolphins need one win on Monday to clinch the softball point in the year-long "Upstate Challenge" between the two institutions. Not only would a victory secure the softball point, it would clinch at least a share of the "Upstate Challenge" trophy for the third straight year and the Dolphins having possession of the trophy for the fourth consecutive year.