Syracuse, N.Y. – Left fielder Tori Schiebe had two hits and drove in two runs to lead fourth-seeded University of New Haven to a 5-2 victory over the third-seeded Le Moyne College softball team in the first round of the Northeast-10 Conference Championships on Tuesday afternoon at the Thomas J. Niland Athletics Complex.
The Chargers, who swept the Dolphins in a home doubleheader on Saturday, got on the scoreboard first with a run in the second inning. Right fielder Alexandria Cunkle led off with a triple to center field and scored on a single to center two pitches later by Schiebe.
New Haven extended its lead to 5-0 in the fourth with four runs on three hits. Designated player/catcher Jovanna Hillman walked to start the inning and was replaced at first by pinch-runner Samantha Errera, who then stole second on a double to left by Cunkle. After taking third on a passed ball, Cunkle scored on a sacrifice fly to right by Schiebe. Center fielder Sierra Whitlock then singled up the middle and stole second. After a strikeout and a walk by second baseman Madison Derosia, shortstop Taylor Luzzi doubled to center to drive in Whitlock and Derosia.
The Dolphins pushed across one run in the bottom of the fourth on two hits and a New Haven error. With two outs, sophomore first baseman
Taylor Artley (York Haven, Pa./Red Land) singled to left. Freshman shortstop
Kaily LaForce (Binghamton, N.Y./Binghamton) followed with a single to the left fielder, who misplayed the ball, which allowed Artley to come around and score.
Le Moyne plated its second run in the fifth on three hits. Graduate student center fielder
Kelsey Johnson (Greece, N.Y./Our Lady of Mercy/Buffalo/Syracuse) led off with a single to third base and sophomore catcher
Ally Nicolosi (Auburn, N.Y./Auburn) followed with a single down the left field line. After a fly out, sophomore third baseman
Peyton Bellrose (Liverpool, N.Y./Liverpool) singled to left field to drive in Johnson and bring the tying run to the plate. Each of the next two batters went down on strikes to end the inning.
The Dolphins were unable to bring the tying run to the plate in either the sixth or seventh innings.
Senior righty
Alexis Eastman (Endicott, N.Y./Union-Endicott) suffered the loss after allowing five runs and nine hits in five and two-thirds innings over two stints in the circle, while striking out five. Johnson and Artley each recorded two hits and scored a run in the contest. Megan Butts earned her 13th victory of the season in the circle after tossing the first four innings, while yielding one unearned run.
Le Moyne (32-13) now awaits word on a possible berth in the NCAA Championships. The 64-team field will be announced on NCAA.com on Monday at 10:00 a.m. In last week's NCAA East Region rankings, the Dolphins were fifth among the eight-team field.
