New Haven, Conn. – Senior third baseman
Kelly Mascari (Syracuse, N.Y./Westhill/Onondaga C.C.) homered in each game to lead the Le Moyne College softball team to a sweep of Southern Connecticut State University in a Northeast-10 Conference Southwest Division doubleheader on Sunday afternoon at Pelz Field. The Dolphins won the opener, 5-3, and took the nightcap, 9-1, in five innings.
Le Moyne started the scoring in the first game with a run in the first inning without getting a hit. Senior shortstop
Courtney Case (Pittsford, N.Y./Pittsford Mendon) drew a walk to start the game, stole second and then took third on a wild pitch with two outs. On a walk by freshman pitcher/designated player
Peyton Bellrose (Liverpool, N.Y./Liverpool), Case scored on a wild fourth ball.
In the third, Mascari homered with one out to double Le Moyne's lead.
The Dolphins pushed their lead to three in the fourth inning. Senior designated player
Morgan Hope (Binghamton, N.Y./Chenango Valley) reached on a throwing error by the pitcher to start the frame and then took second on a bunt single by sophomore left fielder
Lauren Zazzaro (Southington, Conn./Southington). After a pair of fly outs, senior center fielder
Sabrina Riley (Deer Park, N.Y./Deer Park) reached on a fielding error by the second baseman, which allowed Hope to score from second.
Le Moyne completed its scoring with two runs in the fifth on two hits. Sophomore right fielder
Madison DeRita (Higganum, Conn./Mercy) singled to left to start the inning and was replaced at first by senior pinch-runner
Marisa DuVal (Fayetteville, N.Y./Fayetteville-Manlius). After a pair of outs, Zazzaro hit her fourth home run of the season.
The Owls answered with two runs in the bottom of the fifth on three hits. Pinch-hitter Carissa Wasikowski led off with a double to left center and was replaced at second by catcher Heather Jackson. Center fielder Jaime Conklin singled and left fielder Arianna Medeiros walked around a fly out to load the bases. Following an out, shortstop BryAnna McIntosh singled to left field to drive in Conklin and Medeiros.
Southern Connecticut State scored once in the seventh, but could not score any more. Conklin led off with a bunt single and scored from second on a single by second baseman Giuliana D'Arcangelo.
Bellrose earned her eighth victory of the year after striking out one over five innings, while yielding two runs and six hits. Junior
Alexis Eastman (Endicott, N.Y./Union-Endicott) struck out two over two innings to earn her fourth save of the season. Mascari and Zazzaro each had two of Le Moyne's seven hits in the contest. Yesenia Evaristo suffered her second loss in as many days after allowing five runs (four earned) and seven hits over seven innings, while striking out eight.
Case led off the nightcap with a single to center and then scored on a two-out home run by Mascari.
Southern Connecticut State answered with one run on two hits in the bottom of the first. Third baseman Sara Buscetto led off with a single to right center, moved to second on a groundout, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a single to left by D'Arcangelo.
The Dolphins regained their two-run lead in the second inning. Senior catcher
Emily Bagley (Lancaster, N.Y./Lancaster) walked to open the frame, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a two-out triple down the left field line by Case.
Le Moyne exploded for six runs on seven hits in the fourth inning. Bagley singled down the right field line with one out and took second on a single to right center by freshman second baseman
Jillian McManus (Kingston, N.Y./Kingston). After Zazzaro singled to center to load the bases, Case singled up the middle to plate Bagley and McManus. Junior pinch-hitter
Rachelle Walters (North Syracuse, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) followed with a single down the right field line to drive in Zazzaro and Case. After an out and a single through the left side by Mascari, Bellrose tripled to left field to knock in Riley and DuVal.
Eastman struck out three over five innings to record her 15th victory of the year, while yielding one run and four hits. Case went 3-for-3 at the plate with three RBI and two runs scored, while Mascari had two hits and two RBI. Victoria Ceballos took the loss after giving up eight runs over three and one-third innings.
Le Moyne (23-16, 7-9 NE10, 6-8 SW), which has won five straight games, returns home to host The College of Saint Rose in a doubleheader on Tuesday at 3:00 p.m.