Syracuse, N.Y. – Senior shortstop Courtney Case (Pittsford, N.Y./Pittsford Mendon) recorded three hits to lead the Le Moyne College softball team to a 9-0 victory over Saint Michael's College in the first game of a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader on Sunday afternoon at the Thomas J. Niland Athletic Complex. The Purple Knights won the nightcap, 4-3.

The Dolphins opened the first game with four runs in the first inning on four hits and one error by Saint Michael's. Case led off with a double to right center and then came around to score on a single up the middle by freshman catcher Ally Nicolosi (Auburn, N.Y./Auburn). Following a pair of outs, senior third baseman Kelly Mascari (Syracuse, N.Y./Westhill/Buffalo) doubled down the left field line to freshman pitcher Peyton Bellrose (Liverpool, N.Y./Liverpool), who reached on a fielder's choice, to third base. Sophomore left fielder/shortstop Lauren Zazzaro (Southington, Conn./Southington) then reached on a dropped fly ball by the center fielder, which allowed Bellrose and Mascari to score. Sophomore right fielder Madison DeRita (Higganum, Conn./Mercy) followed with a single to third base to knock in Zazzaro.

Le Moyne tallied three runs in the second on three hits and one error. Case singled up the middle with one out, moved to second as Nicolosi reached on a fielder's choice and then took third on a wild pitch. Senior center fielder Sabrina Riley (Deer Park, N.Y./Deer Park) then reached on a dropped fly ball by the right fielder, which allowed Case and Nicolosi to score. Bellrose then singled down the left field line to plate Riley.

The Dolphins tacked on one run in the fourth on one hit and one error. Nicolosi reached second on the third dropped fly ball of the game to start the inning. After taking third on a fly out, she scored on a single up the middle by Bellrose.

Le Moyne finished up the game's scoring in the top of the fifth. Zazzaro led off with a double to left, took third on a groundout and scored on a wild pitch.

Bellrose earned her seventh win of the season after tossing four scoreless innings, while scattering two hits. With her second hit of the game, Case moved into fifth place on the program's all-time hit list with her 209th. Torie Rathwell suffered the loss after allowing eight runs (three earned) and eight hits over four innings.

In the nightcap, Saint Michael's struck first with two runs on three hits in the third. Right fielder Julia Sevigny doubled to left center to start the frame. After a strikeout and a walk by second baseman Christina Brazeau, center fielder Fallon Tierney singled to right field to plate Sevigny. Shortstop Danielle Barbato followed with a single through the left side to knock in Brazeau.

The Dolphins answered with three runs on two hits and an error in the top of the fourth. With one out, Mascari launched a home run over the fence in left field. After Zazzaro reached second on a dropped fly ball by the left fielder, junior second baseman Tess Andrews (Camillus, N.Y./West Genesee) blasted her first home run of the season over the wall in right center for a 3-2 lead.

Barbato evened the score at three apiece in the bottom of the fifth with a two-out home run to left field.

After the Dolphins left a runner stranded at third in the top of the seventh, the Purple Knights walked off with the win in the bottom of the inning. Tierney singled through the left side with one out and Barbato followed with a single to right center to push Tierney to third. After Rathwell was intentionally walked to load the bases, left fielder Caroline Staples flied out to center and Tierney beat the throw home for the winning run.

Bellrose took the loss after yielding one run over one and two-thirds innings of relief work. Danielle Brown recorded the win for the Purple Knights after striking out eight over seven innings, while allowing three runs (one earned) and six hits.
 
Le Moyne (18-11, 2-5 NE10), which lost to the Purple Knights for just the fourth time in 38 all-time meetings and for the first time in 18 all-time regular season meetings at home, returns to action on Tuesday at American International College at 3:00 p.m.