Myrtle Beach, S.C. – Senior designated player
Ally Nicolosi (Auburn, N.Y./Auburn) drove in five runs to lead the Le Moyne College softball team to a 7-4 win over Shippensburg University on the final day of the Snowbird Freeze Out Tournament on Sunday morning.
Shippensburg opened the game's scoring with a run in the first inning. Center fielder Kayla Bonawitz led off with a single up the middle and then stole second. Following a pair of outs, first baseman Hannah Marsteller reached on a throwing error by the third baseman, which allowed Bonawitz to score.
The Raiders doubled their lead with another run in the second inning. Left fielder Meghan Klee reached on an error by the pitcher with one out and moved around to third following a walk and a hit batsman. Bonawitz then reached on a fielder's choice to drive in Klee.
Le Moyne got on the scoreboard, and took the lead, with four runs in the bottom of the second. Junior catcher
Olivia Littman (Newfane, N.Y./Newfane) was hit by a pitch to start the inning and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. After freshman left fielder
Jillian Dunn (Fiskdale, Mass./Tantasqua Regional) walked and freshman center fielder
Dominique Russo (Hopewell Junction, N.Y./John Jay) reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases, Nicolosi tripled to right field to drive in Littman, Dunn and Russo. Senior second baseman
Jillian McManus (Kingston, N.Y./Kingston) followed with a single to left to plate Nicolosi.
The Dolphins added to their lead with three runs in the third. As happened in the second, Littman was hit by a pitch to start the inning. After junior shortstop
Kaily LaForce (Binghamton, N.Y./Binghamton) walked, Dunn reached on a throwing error by the pitcher, which allowed Littman to score. Following a groundout, Nicolosi singled to left center to drive in LaForce and Dunn.
Shippensburg cut its deficit to three with a pair of runs in the sixth, but could not get any closer. Shortstop Grace Palmieri reached on an error by the third baseman to start the frame and moved to second on a one-out walk by Klee. Catcher Morgan Fetter followed with a double to left to drive in Palmieri. Right fielder Alyssa Nehlen then lifted a sacrifice fly to center to knock in Klee.
Junior
Skylar Rechner (Lacombe, Alberta/Lacombe Composite/Corning C.C.) earned her first win of the season after striking out two over six innings, while yielding four unearned runs and just three hits. Freshman
Mckenzie Bergdoll (Attleboro, Mass./Attleboro) collected her first career save by striking out two of the three batters she faced after entering the game with runners on first and second and zero outs in the seventh. Nicolosi and McManus each recorded two of Le Moyne's five hits. Tressa Kagarise took the loss for the Raiders after allowing four runs (three earned) over one and one-third innings.
Le Moyne (3-2) returns to the diamond on Saturday, March 7 at THE Spring Games at the Auburndale Softball Complex in Jan Phyl Village, Florida. The Dolphins take on Saint Thomas Aquinas College at 9:00 a.m. and 2018 National Champion University of Southern Indiana at 11:30 a.m.
