Syracuse, N.Y. – The Le Moyne College softball team (21-18, 10-8 NE10) split their Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader against the Franklin Pierce University Ravens (27-16, 11-7 NE10) on Friday at the Le Moyne Softball Complex. The 'Phins won in walk-off fashion during game one, then Franklin Pierce handed Le Moyne their first home loss of the season during the second half of the doubleheader.

"Our team came to play today, but so did Franklin Pierce," said Le Moyne head coach Tracey Roman following the doubleheader. "Every team in the conference is fighting to secure one of the top eight spots that lead to the NE10 tournament. Every game is a battle, and it's going to be that way right down to the wire. I'm proud of the way we continue to chip away no matter what's going on in the game. Jillian Dunn and Alexandra Chesney both delivered clutch hits in pinch-hitting roles which is not easy to do. Our ability to embrace and do the best we can with whatever roles are asked of us game to game is critical to the success of our team and they know it. Their buy-in is evident. I'm happy with the split but we have to come out ready to battle again tomorrow," Roman added.

The Ravens, who qualified for the NCAA Championships last season and are currently ranked fifth in the most recent East Region Poll, clawed out of a 5-1 deficit in game one and took a 7-5 lead in the top of the sixth inning. The 'Phins got a run back in the bottom of the sixth, then senior outfielder Jillian Dunn (Fiskdale, Mass./Tantasqua Regional) delivered a pinch-hit two-RBI single with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh to give the 'Phins an 8-7 walk-off victory.

Redshirt-sophomore right-handed pitcher Laura Bennett (Corning, N.Y./Corning-Painted Post) pitched all 7.0 innings in game one with six strikeouts to record her 18^th complete game and 14^th victory of the campaign. Bennett has now recorded seven wins through 14 conference appearances, including six wins in nine NE10 starts.

Senior first baseman Mckenzie Bergdoll (Attleboro, Mass./Attleboro) and redshirt-sophomore third baseman Frankie Larobardiere (North Syracuse, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse/Onondaga C.C.) delivered back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the first in game one after FPU took a 1-0 lead in the opening frame. Both long balls were to dead center field; Bergdoll's was a three-run shot, and Larobardiere's was a solo home run after Bergdoll cleared the bases.

Bergdoll, Larobardiere, senior center fielder Isabelle Boudreau (Memramcook, New Brunswick/Mathieu-Martin/Pace), sophomore right fielder Alyssa Dybacz (Baldwinsville, N.Y./Charles W. Baker) and sophomore second baseman Dominique Rinaldi (Sayville, N.Y./Sayville) each provided two hits during the 8-7 win, and Boudreau scored a team-high three runs. Dybacz added two RBIs, including a sacrifice fly in the sixth that cut Le Moyne's two-run deficit in half, and a run scored.

The NE10's leader in RBIs, runs scored and batting average, Franklin Pierce junior designated player/catcher Ashley Cangiano delivered a two-run home run that tied the game at 5-5 in the top of the fourth during game one, while freshman first baseman Hannah Wodecki tallied two RBIs via a single in the top of the third, and a ground ball to the right side with a runner on third in the top of the fifth that gave the Ravens a 6-5 lead.

Franklin Pierce right-handed pitcher Abby Poirot started game one in the circle and went 5.0 innings before being replaced by junior righty Sabrina Gonzalez.

The Ravens jumped out to a 5-0 lead through three innings in game two, then they made it 7-0 with two more runs in the top of the fifth.
The Dolphins recorded just two hits and one walk through the first six innings during the second half of the doubleheader before producing a two-out rally in the bottom of the seventh that put the tying run in the on-deck circle.

Larobardiere delivered another solo home run during game two, increasing her season total to seven (tied third-most in NE10).

First-year catcher/infielder Alexandra Chesney (Malverne, N.Y./Sacred Heart Academy) delivered a pinch-hit two-RBI double with two outs in the top of the seventh that made it 7-4 in favor of the visiting Ravens. Sophomore left fielder Elaina Kassap (Long Beach, N.Y./Long Beach) provided a team-best two hits and scored a run during the setback, while Rinaldi recorded an RBI base hit and a run scored in the final frame.

The Ravens currently lead the NE10 in total team RBIs (243), runs scored (280), hits (354) and home runs (24), while the Dolphins are second in home runs (21) and second in team batting average (.319). During conference play this season, Le Moyne leads the NE10 in average (.336), on-base percentage (.409) and slugging percentage (.464).

Franklin Pierce leads the league with 50 extra-base hits during NE10 play, while Le Moyne is second with 42.

The Ravens remain in third place in the conference standings with a 11-7 NE10 resume, while Le Moyne is tied for seventh place at 10-8.
 
Game One:
FPU freshman right fielder Amy Jones led off the top of the first with an infield single, then sophomore left fielder Bella Williams moved her into scoring position with a ground ball to the right side. Cangiano drew a walk, then the cleanup hitter Haley Bigwood ripped a base hit into left field to drive in Jones and break the tie.

Bennett got another groundout on a hard hit ball at Rinaldi, and then a strikeout to end the inning and keep Le Moyne's deficit at just one run.

The Dolphins responded immediately in the bottom of the first against Poirot. Boudreau led off the inning with an infield single, then Dybacz hammered a base hit down the left field line to give Le Moyne runners on first and second with zero outs.

During the next at bat, Bergdoll swung at a 1-1 offspeed pitch and crushed the ball over the center field wall to give the 'Phins a 3-1 lead.

Larobardiere stepped to the plate next and launched a low pitch over the center field wall to make it 4-1 in favor of the Dolphins.

Still with zero outs in the inning, freshman designated player Audrey Benderski (Spring Lake Park, Minn./Spring Lake Park) drew a walk, then graduate catcher Cassidy Barrett (Apalachin, N.Y./Vestal) hit the ball hard back up the middle, but FPU sophomore shortstop Lita Vorseth made a great play near second base to initiate a 6-4-3 double play for the first two outs of the inning.

Dybacz drove a fly ball over the center fielder's head and off the wall in the bottom of the second to drive in Boudreau from second base to give the 'Phins a four-run lead.

FPU got two runs back in the top of the third on RBI-singles from Vorseth and Wodecki.

The Dolphins went down 1-2-3 against Poirot in the bottom of the third, then Cangiano lifted a fly ball over the left field wall with a runner on first base in the top of the fourth to tie the game at 5-5.

Le Moyne loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the fourth, then Poirot got a fly ball to end the inning and strand the runners.

Franklin Pierce senior center fielder Melissa Konopinski led off the top of the fifth with an infield single, then stole second base and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt from Vorseth.

Wodecki then hit a ground ball to the right side which brough in Konopinski and gave the Ravens their first lead since the top of the first inning.

Konopinski delivered an RBI-double in the top of the sixth to give the Ravens an insurance run.

Gonzalez, who entered the doubleheader with a team-high three saves this season, went out to the circle for Franklin Pierce to begin the bottom of the sixth.

Boudreau recorded a bunt single to lead off the inning, and a throwing error on the play allowed her to advance all the way to third base.  Dybacz swung at a 1-0 pitch during the next at bat and send a line drive towards left center field.

Konopinski moved quickly to her right and dove headfirst to catch the line drive just before it hit the outfield grass. Konopinski robbed Dybacz of a base hit, but the sophomore right fielder still got the RBI as Boudreau tagged up at third and scored easily to trim Le Moyne's deficit to 7-6.

Bergdoll and Larobardiere recorded back-to-back two-out singles to put runners on first and second, but Gonzalez got a ground ball during the next at bat to end the inning and maintain her team's one-run lead.

Bennett delivered a timely 1-2-3 inning with two strikeouts in the top of the seventh.

Barrett led off the bottom of the seventh and provided a leadoff single into left field, then freshman Emilee Gallagher (New Windsor, N.Y./Newburgh Free Academy) came in to pinch run.

Kassap swung at an 0-1 pitch and hit a slow roller down the third base line and reached first base without a throw for an infield single.

Rinaldi fell behind 0-2 during the next at bat, then took a ball before smacking the 1-2 pitch up the middle. Vorseth ranged to her left and dove head first to field the ball, then she tried to flip it to second for the force out, but Kassap beat the throw to the bag, and FPU's Kierra Warrix was unable to hold onto the ball.

Dunn stepped into the batter's box as a pinch hitter with the bases loaded an nobody out, but she quickly fell behind in the count 0-2. The left-handed hitter took the 0-2 pitch for a ball outside, then she fouled off the 1-2 fastball before laying off a high pitch to even the count at 2-2.

Dunn slapped a 2-2 offspeed pitch towards the left side. The ball snuck past Vorseth at short and into shallow left field. Gallagher scored easily, then Kassap rounded third and hustled home to score the game-winning run.

Game Two:
FPU struck first in the top of the first on an RBI single from Konopinski.

Cangiano led off the third inning with a triple to center field, then Bigwood drove her in with a double to center field. Konopinski ripped a single up the middle during the next at bat to make It 3-0 in favor of the Ravens. FPU scored two more runs in the inning to open up a 5-0 lead.

The Ravens tacked on two more runs in the top of the fifth, and at the end of five innings the 'Phins had yet to put a runner in scoring position.

Le Moyne sophomore right-handed pitcher Julia Panarella (Southington, Conn./Southington), who pitched the first 2.0 innings in game two, re-entered the circle for the top of the sixth and delivered a 1-2-3 inning.

After game-one starter Poirot entered the circle to pitch the bottom of the sixth, Le Moyne was able to put a runner at second base with zero outs, but a lineout and a fly ball double play ended the inning.

Panarella recorded another quick 1-2-3 inning in the top of the seventh.

Poirot got a ground ball for out number one in the bottom of the seventh, then Larobardiere lifted a fly ball over the left field fence to give Le Moyne their first run of the contest.

Following a fly out to right field, Dunn worked a two-out walk. Kassap beat out an infield single during the next at bat to put runners on first and second.  Rinaldi hit a hard ground ball towards third base that got past the fielder and rolled into shallow left field. Dunn scored to make it 7-2, while Kassap hustled to third and Rinaldi advanced to second.

Chesney stepped to the plate as a pinch hitter and hammered a fly ball towards deep right-center field that dropped in for a double, driving in both Rinaldi and Kassap to make it a three-run game.  FPU then sent Gonzalez back out to the circle, and she retired the first batter she faced to the end the game and earn the save.

The Le Moyne College softball team will return to the Softball Complex on Saturday for another NE10 doubleheader against Saint Michael's College (11-23, 4-14 NE10) at 12:00 and 2:00 p.m. The Dolphins will celebrate "Senior Day" on the field prior to game one. The Le Moyne Athletic Department will recognize and celebrate six softball senior student-athletes: Boudreau, Dunn, Dominique Russo, Makenzie Konik, Mckenzie Bergdoll and Laura Bennett.