Winter Haven, Fla. – The Le Moyne College softball team went 1-1 during their last day participating in The Spring Games in Winter Haven, Florida. Le Moyne lost a pitching duel to Shepherd University in their first game of the day by a score of 1-0.

Sophomore right-hander Laura Bennett (Corning, N.Y./Corning-Painted Post) pitched all seven innings and allowed just five hits and one run while recording seven strikeouts. While the 'Phins were unable to get a run on the board in game one, it was not due to a lack of hitting the ball hard. The 'Phins only struck out two times at the plate during the first seven innings of the day and were consistently squaring the ball up from the get-go but did not have any luck finding holes in the field of play, and the Rams played some great defense.

The 'Phins got off to a hot start in game two, scoring four runs in the top of the 1^st, and rode that momentum to a 7-4 win over Wayne State University.

"One of the most difficult asks we make of our student-athletes in the sport of softball is to rebound from a loss in the first half of a doubleheader twenty minutes after it happens. When you play 10 games in 7 days you naturally have ups and downs. We came out swinging today after dropping two tough games yesterday, and although the hits didn't find the holes in the first game, we kept our focus at the plate, and we were able to come out with a win. We played 14 strong innings of softball today and had a very productive week overall," said Le Moyne Head Coach Tracey Roman after today's games.

Sophomore right-hander Lindsey Dobbs (Schenectady, N.Y./Colonie) started game two in the circle against Wayne State, and gave the 'Phins 4.2 solid innings, battling through tough spots and getting big outs when she needed to.

First year right-hander Julia Panarella (Southington, Conn./Southington) pitched the final 2.1 innings for Le Moyne to earn the save.

Both Alyssa Dybacz (Baldwinsville, N.Y./Charles W. Baker) and Mckenzie Bergdoll (Attleboro, Mass./Attleboro) have been swinging scorching hot bats at The Spring Games, and both continued their production at the plate during the 'Phins final game of the week. Bergdoll and Dybacz each went 3-4 with one run scored and an RBI against the Warriors of Wayne State.

At the moment, Dybacz seems incapable of stepping to the plate and doing anything other than smashing the ball into the field of play. Even her outs were impressive this week.

Dybacz finished The Spring Games 15-29 from the plate with two homeruns, two doubles, a stolen base, eight RBIs and six runs scored. If there's a player in the NE10 with a hotter bat right now, I'd love to watch her play.

The pitching duel between Bennett and Shepherd University starting right-hander Hannah Ruffner was a spectacle if you're a fan of great defensive play.

During the top of the first inning, the Shepherd two-hitter popped the ball up to the left side of the infield in foul territory. Le Moyne third baseman Mckenzie Konik (Scotia, N.Y./Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake) tracked the ball all the way the to the fence and caught it just as her body contacted the galvanized steel for out number two.

Le Moyne went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 1^st, but all three 'Phins hit the ball hard into the field of play. Le Moyne continued to make solid contact in the 2^nd inning.

Dybacz hit a missile right at the right fielder for out one, then Bergdoll hit a hard chopper to third that the Shepherd fielder made a nice play on for out number two. Dominique Rinaldi (Sayville, N.Y./Sayville) came up next in the inning, and the first-year shortstop hit a rocket towards the first base line, but the Shepherd first baseman caught the line drive above her head for the third out of the inning.

Shepherd put runners on second and third with two outs in the top of the 3^rd, then Bennett got the next batter down in a 1-2 count. The 1-2 pitch from Bennett was a nasty changeup that was swung on and missed for the final out of the inning.

In the bottom of the 4^th, junior centerfielder Isabelle Boudreau (Memramcook, New Brunswick/Mathieu-Martin/Pace) dropped a picture-perfect bunt down the first base line. Once the Shepherd infield realized they had no chance to throw out Boudreau, they let the ball be, hoping it would roll foul. The yellow ball sat on the chalk and stayed in fair territory, giving the 'Phins their first baserunner of the afternoon.

Senior catcher CJ Barrett lined out to the shortstop, then Boudreau was caught stealing second during the next at-bat, disrupting any chance the 'Phins had of getting the first run on the board.

Bennett gave up a leadoff single in the top of the 5^th, then threw another nasty 1-2 changeup to record a strikeout. Bennett got the next batter down 0-2 and went back to the changeup. The hitter was way out in front, and hit a dribbler right back to Bennett, who threw over to first for out number two. Bennett got a fly ball to end the inning.

The Rams got their winning run in the top of the 6^th via a leadoff double, a sacrifice bunt, and an RBI single to center field.

Bennett recorded an infield pop-up and a struck out to end the inning without further damage.

Senior outfielder Taylor Cox (Neversink, N.Y./Tri-Valley Secondary School) hit a two-out single into right field during the top of the 6^th, but Ruffner got a ground ball to end the inning.

Junior left fielder Dominique Russo (Hopewell Junction, N.Y./John Jay) laid out for a highlight-reel diving catch in foul territory for the first out of the 7^th inning. The Rams put a runner in scoring position with one out in the inning, but Bennett got a strikeout and a fly-out to put the bats back in the Dolphins' hands, down 1-0.

Barrett led off the bottom of the 7^th, and smoked the ball into center, right at the Shepherd fielder, which was entirely emblematic for how the 'Phins first game of the day went.

Dybacz hit a hard ground ball to second base for the final out of the game.

The 'Phins found some holes during the second game.

Boudreau hit a ground ball to the left side of the infield to lead off the top of the 1^st against Wayne State, but the Warriors' first baseman could not handle the throw, and Boudreau reached safely.

Barrett hit a ground ball up the middle, then Brooke Nicolaos (Liverpool, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) hit a hard ground ball to the left side that got past the third baseman, which brought Boudreau around to score. Barrett rounded third and headed for home as well, but the throw in from the outfield beat her to the plate, and she was tagged for out number one.

Dybacz hit a line drive in front of the right fielder, moving Nicolaos to third. Bergdoll and Frankie Larobardiere (North Syracuse, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse/Onondaga C.C.) hit back-to-back RBI singles into center field to put the 'Phins up 3-0, then Bergdoll came home to score on a first and third steal play.

The Warriors put a runner on third with two outs in the bottom of the 1^st. Dobbs got a slow ground ball down the third base line. Larobardiere charged the ball and threw a laser to first that beat the runner by a step to end the inning and prevent the runner at third from scoring.

Wayne State put runners on second and third with two outs in the bottom of the 2^nd, and Dobbs fell in a 3-0 count to the next hitter. The sophomore right-hander battled back, throwing two straight strikes to make the count full, then got a ground ball to end the inning.

Ruczynski hit a two-run homer for Wayne State in the bottom of the 3^rd inning to cut the Warriors' deficit in half, but Le Moyne got both runs back in the top of the 4^th.

Russo hit a one-out blooper into shallow center field, then Boudreau dropped down a great bunt in front of the plate. When Boudreau's bat made contact with the ball, Russo took off for second. With the whole defense rushing in to prevent Boudreau's bunt single, third base was wide open. Russo saw the play unfold and did not break stride as she rounded second and sprinted to the next open bag. The Wayne State right fielder and multiple infielders tried to recover and beat her there, but Russo was too fast and slide into third headfirst. Some heads up base running from Boudreau allowed her to advance to second as the trail runner on the play.

With runners on second and third with one out, Barrett did her job, hitting a ground ball to the right side to drive in Russo and advance Boudreau to third. Boudreau scored on a wild pitch to make it 6-2 in favor of Le Moyne.

Wayne State got a run back in the bottom of the 4^th to make it 6-3.

In the bottom of the 5^th, the Warriors had runners on first and second with zero outs. During the next at-bat, Myers hit a line drive right back to Dobbs, who quickly reacted to catch the ball and immediately threw to first base for the double play. The Warriors got a run during the inning to make it 6-4, but Panarella came in and got a ground ball to end the inning.

Boudreau drew a one-out walk during the top of the 6^th, then advanced to second on a wild pitch. A hard ground ball to the right side of the infield off the bat of CJ Barrett moved Boudreau to third.

Dybacz came to the plate next. In her first two at-bats of the game, the Wayne State pitcher started her off with an off-speed pitch, weary of Dybacz's red-hot bat. Maybe in an effort to continue to keep Dybacz off balance, the pitcher went with a first-pitch fastball in the top of the 6^th. Dybacz jumped on the first-pitch fastball and deposited it up the middle and into center field to drive in Boudreau and make it 7-4 'Phins.

In the bottom of the 6^th, the first two Wayne State at-bats of the inning resulted in fly balls to shallow right field. Both times, Cox (right fielder) and Nicolaos (second baseman) displayed great communication. Cox, who was coming in towards the ball, called off her second baseman both times and recorded back-to-back putouts to start the inning. Cox slid and made a great play for the second of her 6^th inning put-outs.

Panarella recorded two strikeouts in the bottom of the 7^th to complete the save and secure the win for the 'Phins!

Le Moyne finished their trip to The Spring Games with a 6-4 record, and will be back in action on Saturday, March 26 when they travel to Bentley University for a doubleheader against the Falcons.