Leesburg, Fla. – The Le Moyne College softball team claimed another doubleheader sweep during the final day of their 12-game spring break trip to Florida. The Dolphins have now won four games in a row, and will head back to Syracuse with a 10-9 overall record, including an 8-4 mark at the Spring Games.

Le Moyne bested Hillsdale College 2-1 during game one, then took down Salem University by a score of 5-1 during the second half of the doubleheader.

The 'Phins won in walk-off fashion in extra innings during game one against the Hillsdale Chargers, which was a thrilling pitching duel between Le Moyne redshirt-junior right-hander Laura Bennett (Corning, N.Y./Corning-Painted Post) and Hillsdale sophomore righty Joni Russell.

Bennett allowed just five hits, one run and zero walks with four strikeouts in 8.0 innings pitched against the Chargers, while Russell surrendered just one hit and zero runs in 6.0 innings of work.

Bennett allowed the lone run in the opening inning, then did not allow a single hit over the next five frames.

Redshirt-sophomore third baseman Frankie Larobardiere (North Syracuse, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse/Onondaga C.C.) delivered a clutch two-out, two-strike solo home run in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game and send it to extras.

Bennett stranded two runners in scoring position in the top of the eighth, then Le Moyne walked it off in the bottom of the frame with a bunt single by Dominique Rinaldi (Sayville, N.Y./Sayville) which preceded a throwing error by Hillsdale's relief pitcher.

Le Moyne jumped on the Salem Tigers during game two, growing their lead to 5-0 in the top of the third inning.

Sophomore right-hander Julia Panarella (Southington, Conn./Southington) did not allow a single earned run in 7.0 innings of work to earn her first complete-game victory of the season.

Senior center fielder Isabelle Boudreau (Memramcook, New Brunswick/New Brunswick/Mathieu-Martin/Pace) tallied a season-high three hits against the Tigers, while Larobardiere, Audrey Benderski (Spring Lake Park, Minn./Spring Lake Park), Cassidy Barrett (Apalachin, N.Y./Vestal) and Elaina Kassap (Long Beach, N.Y./Long Beach) each provided two hits during the victory.

"Playing 12 games in 10 days is absolutely grueling," said Le Moyne head coach Tracey Roman following the team's final doubleheader at The Spring Games. "To come out of this trip with an 8-4 record and a 10-9 overall record against the level of competition we've played is something to celebrate. Julia and Laura threw very well today. Frankie's home run to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh with two outs and two strikes was absolutely poetic. I love the way we're competing as a team and we're really looking forward to beginning conference play on Saturday," Roman added.

From Audrey Benderski following the 12-game stretch: "We had a slow start in Florida, just getting out here and getting used to all the different elements, and I think as the week went on we really clicked and were able to get our hitting going, and I don't think it's very common [for a team] to constantly hit throughout the lineup, and I feel like that was a key factor in a lot of our games. If we struggled a little bit at the beginning, the bottom of our lineup would pick up the top, and the momentum just kept going."

From graduate catcher CJ Barrett on the performance of the pitching staff in Florida: "I feel like we worked with a lot of different [strike] zones, and our pitchers adjusted very well. With tight zones, we worked with it, and with bigger zones we took advantage of it. On the other side of that, I think our hitters adjusted well, and it was kind of a game of who could adjust quicker, and I think we won."
 
Game one vs. Hillsdale:
The Chargers scored one run in the top of the first via a one-out double from sophomore DP Emma Vis and a two-out RBI single from junior third baseman Grace Wallner. With two outs and runners on first and second, Bennett threw a 1-1 rise ball to the next batter and got an infield popup to end the inning.

Neither team put a runner on base during the next six half-innings, then Le Moyne got their first base runner in the bottom of the fourth.

Boudreau led off the fourth for Le Moyne and dropped down a bunt towards the right side. Boudreau narrowly beat the throw to first for a base hit. Russell retired the next three Le Moyne batters in order to maintain her team's one-run lead.

Barrett hit a hard ground ball towards the left side with one out in the bottom of the fifth, but the Hillsdale shortstop ranged to her right, snagged the grounder and threw to first in time for out number two.

Le Moyne's freshman shortstop Alayna Bush (Adams, N.Y./South Jefferson) made a nice play in the field to end the top of the sixth inning. With two outs and a runner on first, Wallner hit a hard chopper back up the middle. Bush moved to her left, snagged the ball and stepped on second base to get the lead runner.

Freshman middle infielder Taylor Lewis delivered a leadoff single for the Chargers in the top of the seventh, but Barrett threw her out trying to steal second during the next at bat. Hillsdale's Anna Chellman hit a hard ground ball towards third base with one out and nobody on, but Larobardiere made a tough play near the bag, fielding the ball cleanly and firing a laser across the diamond to record the second out of the inning.

Bennett got ahead 0-2 on the next batter, then fired a nasty pitch that painted the outside corner for a called strike three to end the inning.

Mackenzie Maxson entered the circle for Hillsdale in the bottom of the seventh and got her first two batters out on consecutive ground balls, then put Larobardiere in a two-strike count. With Le Moyne down to their final strike, Larobardiere changed the trajectory of the game with one swing. Larobardiere jumped on the two-strike pitch and sent the ball flying over the center field wall for her NE10-leading fifth home run of the season.

Due to the international tie-breaker rule for extra innings, Hillsdale was given a runner on second base to begin the top of the eighth.

Bennett got a fly ball for out number one, then Ashley Strick singled up the middle. Hillsdale's lead runner advanced to third on the play, but the Le Moyne outfield got the ball in quickly to prevent the run from scoring.

Bennett forced a fly out to shallow left center field for the second out. Bennett fell behind 2-0 during the next at bat, but got a swing and miss on a rise ball for strike one, then threw a nasty changeup on the outside corner for strike two. On the 2-2 pitch, Bennett got an infield pop up to end the inning.

Senior Jillian Dunn (Fiskdale, Mass./Tantasqua Regional) was placed on second as a pinch runner to begin the bottom of the eighth, then Hillsdale intentionally walked Kassap, putting runners on first and second with zero outs.

Rinaldi then laid down a well-placed bunt towards the left side of the infield, and the Hillsdale pitcher tried to get the lead runner at third. The speedy Dunn would have beat the throw had it been accurate, but the ball sailed over the third baseman's head, allowing Dunn to cross the plate and give the 'Phins a 2-1 walk-off victory.

Saturday marked the second time at The Spring Games that Le Moyne battled an opponent into extra innings, as the Dolphins fell to no. 9 University of Indianapolis by a score of 5-4 in eight innings on Tuesday.

Game two vs. Salem University:
Le Moyne jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first against the Tigers.

Boudreau led off the game with an infield single, then Salem junior right-hander Andrea Gallegos got a fly ball out before Le Moyne first baseman Mckenzie Bergdoll (Attleboro, Mass./Attleboro) lined out to right field for out number two.

Larobardiere took an offspeed pitch for strike one before jumping on an 0-1 fastball and taking it the other way for a two-out base hit.

Benderski ripped a single into center field during the next at bat, and Boudreau rounded third and headed for home. The throw home from the outfield was on target, but Boudreau avoided the tag and touched home plate on a headfirst slide to give the 'Phins a 1-0 lead.

Barrett then hit a hard ground ball that got through the right side of the infield to drive in Larobardiere and double Le Moyne's lead.

In the top of the second, Gallegos retired the first two Le Moyne hitters on ground balls, then got two strikes on Boudreau. Boudreau attacked a two-strike rise ball and smashed a line drive over the second baseman's head for a base hit.

Boudreau came around to score on an error during the next at bat to make it 3-0 in favor of the Dolphins.

Larobardiere led off the top of the third for Le Moyne. The North Syracuse native went and got an outside pitch and knocked it into shallow center field for a leadoff single. Freshman Avery Linn (Bethpage, N.Y./Plainedge) then entered the game as a pinch runner.

Gallegos got an infield pop up for the first out of the inning, then Barrett ripped a single to center field and Linn advanced to third. Senior Dominique Russo (Hopewell Junction, N.Y./John Jay) came in to pinch run for Barrett and immediately stole second base.

With runners on second and third, Kassap hit a low line drive to the right of the first baseman, driving in both Linn and Russo to extend Le Moyne's lead to 5-0.

Salem threatened in the bottom of the third with back-to-back single to begin the inning. With runners on first and second and zero outs, Panarella got ahead 0-2 on the next hitter, then after trying to get her to chase she threw a hard 2-2 fastball that painted the inside corner for a called strike three.

Panarella struck the next batter out swinging on a rise ball, then Ricki Garay singled through the right side for Salem to load the bases.

Panarella got a fly ball to center field during the next at bat to get the final out of the inning and maintain her shutout bid.

Both pitchers recorded 1-2-3 innings during the fourth.

Gallegos worked around a one-out triple from Benderski in the top of the fifth, then Panarella recorded three consecutive outs after allowing a leadoff single in the bottom of the frame.

Le Moyne sophomore outfielder Alyssa Dybacz (Baldwinsville, N.Y./Charles W. Baker) attacked the first pitch she saw with two outs in the top of the sixth and blasted a triple over the right fielder's head.

Gallegos got a fly ball to right field to end the inning and strand Dybacz at third.

With one out and runner on first in the bottom of the sixth, Meesha Arroyo hit a fly ball to shallow left-center field. The ball looked like it might drop in for a single, but Dunn came charging in from left field and made the catch on the run for out number two.

Panarella threw a fastball that painted the inside corner for strike one during the next at bat, then got a fly ball to center field to end the inning.

Salem scored an unearned run on a fielder's choice play in the bottom of the seventh, then Panarella got a strikeout to end the game and secure Le Moyne's fourth consecutive victory.

Through 19 games so far in 2023, the Dolphins are hitting .290 as a team with a league-best 11 home runs.

The 'Phins will have a quick turnaround after returning from Florida on Sunday, as they have a doubleheader scheduled for Tuesday, March 21 against D'Youville University.

Le Moyne will then begin conference play on Saturday against Bentley University.