Springfield, Mass – The Le Moyne College softball team improved their Northeast-10 Conference record to 9-7 on Saturday with two wins over the American International College Yellow Jackets (4-30, 1-13 NE10) at AIC's Judy Groff Field.

The Dolphins earned a 5-3 win in game one, then defeated the Yellow Jackets 19-0 during the second half of the doubleheader.

"I would have loved to see today's run total spread over four games (this weekend) but I'm proud of the way we came out swinging after dropping two yesterday," said Le Moyne head coach Tracey Roman following Saturday's doubleheader, which came after Le Moyne lost both games of their doubleheader at Assumption on Friday. "Julia threw very well today. She kept them off balance the entire game, which is what she does best when she is on. Defensively, we have some stuff to clean up and with a lighter game schedule this week we are excited to address those areas in practice. A lot can happen with what's left of the conference schedule, which will make for a very interesting two weeks," Roman added.

Redshirt junior right-handed pitcher Laura Bennett (Corning, N.Y./Corning-Painted Post) allowed just six hits and one earned run with six strikeouts in 6.0 innings of work during game one to register her 13^th victory of the season.

After senior center field Isabelle Boudreau (Memramcook, New Brunswick/Mathieu-Martin/Pace) and senior first baseman Mckenzie Bergdoll (Attleboro, Mass./Attleboro) both reached base with singles in the top of the first inning during game one, redshirt-sophomore third baseman Frankie Larobardiere (North Syracuse, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse/Onondaga C.C.) drove them both in with a base hit that snuck through the left side of the infield. Le Moyne took a 3-0 lead in the opening frame after first-year DP Audrey Benderski (Spring Lake Park, Minn./Spring Lake Park) knocked in Larobardiere with a line drive to left field.

Bennett allowed her first base runner to lead off the bottom of the third, then Assumption junior center fielder Abigail Wells ripped a double to left center to drive in the runner and trim her team's deficit to 3-1.

Le Moyne got the run back in the top of the fourth. Graduate catcher Cassidy Barrett (Apalachin, N.Y./Vestal) led off the inning with a base hit after falling behind in the count 0-2, then sophomore second baseman Dominique Rinaldi (Sayville, N.Y./Sayville) moved the pinch runner Dominique Russo (Hopewell Junction, N.Y./John Jay) into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt, and senior left fielder Jillian Dunn (Fiskdale, Mass./Tantasqua Regional) moved Russo to third with another sacrifice bunt.

Rookie shortstop Avery Linn (Bethpage, N.Y./Plainedge) hit a chopper back to the pitcher during the next at bat and narrowly beat the throw to first which allowed Russo to score and extend Le Moyne's lead to 4-1.

AIC scored two unearned runs in the bottom of the fifth to trim their deficit to 4-3.

Bennett recorded two strikeouts during a scoreless bottom of the sixth, then the 'Phins added an insurance run in the top of the seventh on an RBI double from Benderski.

Bennett got three groundouts in the bottom of the seventh to secure the 5-3 win and register her NE10-best 17^th complete game in 2023.

Sophomore right-hander Julia Panarella (Southington, Conn./Southington) tossed her first complete-game shutout of the season in game two against the Yellow Jackets.

Panarella allowed just two hits, one walk and zero runs with three strikeouts in 5.0 innings as the Dolphins won by run rule at the end of the fifth.

Sophomore right fielder Alyssa Dybacz (Baldwinsville, N.Y./Charles W. Baker) recorded a career-high four RBIs during the 19-0 win by launching her first career grand slam in the top of the fourth inning.

Boudreau tallied a season-high three runs scored and a career-high three runs batted in to go along with two hits during the conference victory, while Dunn tied her season-high with two hits (which she set in game one of the doubleheader) and recorded new season highs in runs (two) and runs batted in (two).

Also during game two, Bergdoll recorded two hits, two runs scored, two RBIs and two walks; Benderski drew four walks and scored two runs; Barrett accumulated three hits, three RBIs, a walk and a run scored; and Rinaldi tallied three hits, two runs scored, one walk and two RBIs.

The 'Phins scored three runs in the first, five in the third, six in the fourth and five more in the fifth.

19 is the highest amount of runs scored in a single game by a Le Moyne softball team since the 2020 season, and the most scored in a conference game since April 28, 2010, when the 'Phins bested Franklin Pierce by a score of 19-4.

As a team, the Dolphins currently hold an NE10-best .336 batting average during conference games, and they are second in the league with 18 home runs on the year.

The Le Moyne softball team will return to action on April 22 with a doubleheader at home against Saint Michael's College.