Leesburg, Fla. – The Le Moyne College softball team scored 12 runs in both their contests at the Spring Games on Sunday to earn a doubleheader sweep at the Sleepy Hollow Sports Complex.

During game one, a 12-5 win over Post, the Dolphins scored at least one run in five of the six innings that they came to the plate, and scored at least three runs in three different innings. In game two against Bloomfield, the Dolphins scored five runs in the first three innings and cruised to a to a 12-0 victory.

"It was a total team effort today," said Le Moyne Head Coach Tracey Roman following the two Le Moyne wins. "Proud of the way we bounced back today after dropping two yesterday. We get a little bit better with every outing which is all I can ask for during this early part of the season," Roman added.

Redshirt-junior right-hander Laura Bennett (Corning, N.Y./Corning-Painted Post) was dominant in the circle to start game one, allowing just one hit and zero runs with eight strikeouts in 3.0 innings pitched. Sophomore right-hander Julia Panarella (Southington, Conn./Southington) pitched one inning in relief, then first-year right-hander Rose Nicastro (Wesbter, N.Y./Webster Thomas) got the final nine outs while allowing zero earned runs and just one hit with three strikeouts to secure the win for the 'Phins.

Bennett struck out the side in the top of the first inning against the Eagles, then the Dolphins scored three runs in the bottom of the inning.

Senior center fielder Isabelle Boudreau (Memramcook, New Brunswick/Mathieu-Martin/Pace) led off the bottom of the first inning and ripped a two-strike pitch into center field for a base hit. Alyssa Dybacz (Baldwinsville, N.Y./Charles W. Baker) stepped to the plate next and hit a hard ground ball that the shortstop could not field cleanly. Boudreau hustled into second, and Dybacz reached first base safely to give the 'Phins two runners on base with zero outs.

Le Moyne's three-hitter Cassidy Barrett (Apalachin, N.Y./Vestal) turned on a pitch during the next at bat and drove the ball over the right fielder's head to drive in both Boudreau and Dybacz. Barrett reached third base, then an errant throw from the cut-off allowed Barrett to cross the plate and make it 3-0 in favor of the Dolphins.

With the bases cleared and still zero outs in the inning, redshirt-sophomore third baseman Frankie Larobardiere (North Syracuse, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse/Onondaga C.C.) stepped to the plate and hammered a pitch over the left field wall to give Le Moyne their fourth run of the opening frame.

Bennett recorded another 1-2-3 inning in the top of the second with two more strikeouts that sandwiched a tremendous defensive play from Le Moyne's two middle infielders. With one out and a runner on first, the ball was hit hard towards second base. Le Moyne sophomore second baseman Dominique Rinaldi (Sayville, N.Y./Sayville) ranged to her right, dove and fully extended her body to field the ball, then quickly flipped it to freshman shortstop Alayna Bush (Adams, N.Y./South Jefferson) at the bag. The lead runner beat Rinaldi's toss to second, but Bush immediately fired the ball to Mckenzie Bergdoll (Attleboro, Mass./Attleboro) at first, who lunged forward to catch the ball before the batter reached the bag to record the second out of the inning.

Bennett recorded her fifth strikeout to end the inning, then Dybacz ripped a single through the left side of the infield in the bottom of the frame to drive in Bush and extend Le Moyne's lead to 5-0.

Bennett finished her outing with three more strikeouts in the top of the third.

Some aggressive baserunning allowed Le Moyne to add three more runs in the bottom of the third, giving the 'Phins an 8-0 lead.

Post scored two runs in the top of the fourth, but Le Moyne got them both back plus another in the bottom of the inning.

Freshman Audrey Benderski (Spring Lake Park, Minn./Spring Lake Park) launched a solo home run with two outs in the bottom of the fourth, her second long ball of the year, then Bergdoll doubled into the left-center field gap, stole third, and crossed the plate via a Rinaldi line drive base hit that went over the second baseman's head.

Rinaldi proceeded to steal second base, then she rounded third and scored on a line drive base hit from senior outfielder Dominique Russo (Hopewell Junction, N.Y./John Jay), extending Le Moyne's lead 11-2.

Post recorded four singles and added three runs in the top of the fifth, then Le Moyne scored their final run of the contest in the bottom of the sixth via a Russo ground ball to the right side of the infield that drove in Bergdoll from third base.

Nicastro recorded 1-2-3 innings in the final two frames to secure the win.

During the game one win, Bergdoll and Rinaldi tallied a team-best three hits, and Bergdoll crossed the plate three times. Barrett and Russo both provided a team-high two RBIs.

The Dolphins recorded a season-high 14 hits against the Eagles, a total that they matched during the second half of their Sunday doubleheader against the Bloomfield College Bears.

In the top of the first against Bloomfield, Dybacz ripped a one-out double into the left-center field gap, then Larobardiere drove a two-out, two-run home run over the center field wall, her second long ball of the day and her third on the season, to give the 'Phins an early 2-0 lead.

Bennett started game two in the circle as well for Le Moyne, and worked around a leadoff double in the bottom of the first to keep the Bears scoreless going into the second frame.

Berdgoll hit a leadoff triple over the right fielder's head in the top of the first, then Rinaldi singled up the middle to drive her in and make it 3-0 in favor of the Dolphins.

Bennett recorded three strikeouts in the bottom of the second, then Le Moyne doubled their lead in the third.

Dybacz drew a leadoff walk in the top of the third, then Barrett and Larobadiere drew walks of their own to load the bases with zero outs. Benderski was then hit by a pitch, which drove in Dybacz from third.

Rinaldi singled to first to drive in Larobardiere, then Russo provided an infield single at the third baseman which allowed Bergdoll to score and extended Le Moyne's lead to 6-0.

The 'Phins added another run in the top of the fourth, then Bennett recorded a 1-2-3 inning with two strikeouts in the bottom of the frame.

Le Moyne loaded the bases again in the top of the fifth, then Barrett drove a grand-slam home run over the left-center field wall to give Le Moyne a 12-0 lead.

Bennett recorded another 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the fifth to end the game.

The 'Phins tallied a season-high 11 RBIs against the Bears, including four from Barrett, two each from Larobardiere and Rinaldi, and one each from Dybacz, Benderski and Russo. Russo went 3-3 at the plate during the game two win, while Rinaldi, Larobardiere, Dybacz and Boudreau both provided two hits.

Through 11 games in 2023, Larobadiere and Benderski are both in the top five among NE10 players for home runs with three and two long balls so far, respectively.

Bennett is tied for second in strikeouts among NE10 pitchers with 54 Ks so far this season.

The Le Moyne softball team will enjoy a day off in Florida on Monday before playing another doubleheader at the Spring Games on Tuesday against #8 University of Indianapolis and University of Mary.