Myrtle Beach, S.C. – Freshman pitcher/designated player
Peyton Bellrose (Liverpool, N.Y./Liverpool) recorded five hits to lead the Le Moyne College softball team to wins over Concord University and Lock Haven University on Sunday at the Snowbird Freeze Out Tournament at the Ned Donkle Complex. The Dolphins defeated Concord, 3-2, and topped Lock Haven, 8-3.
The Dolphins jumped out to a 3-0 lead through two innings against Concord. Senior center fielder
Sabrina Riley (Deer Park, N.Y./Deer Park) started the scoring with a solo home run with two outs in the first inning. Bellrose led off the second with a double to left field and moved to third with one out as second baseman
Tess Andrews (Camillus, N.Y./West Genesee) reached on an error by the shortstop. Bellrose then raced home on a passed ball. Two batters later, Andrews scored on a groundout by junior catcher
Nicole Cerrone (Liverpool, N.Y./Liverpool).
Concord cut into its deficit with two runs on two hits in the fifth inning. Pinch-hitter Aarron Ward drew a walk to open the frame and was replaced at first by Chelsea Shepherd. After a sacrifice bunt, Alayna Furr singled to drive in Shepherd. Two batters later, Lauren Lewis singled to center to plate Furr.
Junior righty
Alexis Eastman (Endicott, N.Y./Union-Endicott) earned her third win of the weekend after striking out three over seven innings, while yielding two runs on four hits. Riley and Bellrose each had two hits in the contest. Darby Fitzpatrick allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits over six innings in suffering the loss.
Against Lock Haven, the Dolphins scored a pair of runs in the opening inning on two hits. Freshman catcher
Ally Nicolosi (Auburn, N.Y./Auburn) was hit by a pitch to start the frame, moved to second on a single to the shortstop by senior shortstop
Courtney Case (Pittsford, N.Y./Pittsford Mendon) and took third on a wild pitch. After a fly out, Bellrose singled to drive in Nicolosi. Following a walk, Case scored on a sacrifice fly to center by sophomore right fielder
Madison DeRita (Higganum, Conn./Mercy).
Le Moyne extended its lead to 5-0 in the second inning on two hits and one error. After sophomore left fielder
Lauren Zazzaro (Southington, Conn./Southington) walked with one out and Nicolosi reached on an error, doubled to drive in the pair. Following a walk by Riley, Bellrose singled to left field to plate Case.
Lock Haven cut into its deficit with three runs on two hits in the top of the third. Left fielder Moriah Lindsey walked, second baseman Jessica Strouse singled to left and Faith Ceely walked to load the bases to open the frame. First baseman McKenna Garlock then lifted a sacrifice fly to right to knock in Lindsey. Following an out, pitcher Rachel Mouillesseaux singled to left to score Strouse and Ceely.
The Dolphins pushed its lead back to three in the bottom of the third. DeRita led off with a single to center and moved to second on a one-out walk by freshman first baseman
Taylor Artley (York Haven, Pa./Red Land). Two batters later, Nicolosi doubled to center to drive in DeRita.
Le Moyne finished off the game's scoring with two runs on three hits in the sixth inning. Following singled to left by Case and Riley, Bellrose singled to right field to knock in Case. Two batters later, Riley scored on a passed ball.
Eastman struck out three over the final four innings to earn her Northeast-10 Conference-leading fourth win of the season. Case and Bellrose each had three hits, while Case scored three times and Bellrose drove in three runs. Mouillesseaux took the loss after giving up seven runs (five earned) over five innings in the circle.
Le Moyne (5-1), which has won five of its first six games for the third straight year, returns to the diamond on Saturday, March 4 against Tiffin University at 11:30 a.m. in Leesburg, Florida.
