Syracuse, N.Y. – The Le Moyne College softball team (23-18, 12-8 NE10) improved their 2023 home record to 9-1 on Saturday afternoon with two NE10 Conference victories over the Saint Michael's College Purple Knights (11-25, 4-16) at the Le Moyne Softball Complex.

The Dolphins, who celebrated 'Senior Day" prior to their final home games of the regular season against the Purple Knights, have now claimed four conference doubleheader sweeps at home this year.

Le Moyne previously split their doubleheader against the Franklin Pierce University Ravens, who are ranked fifth in the most recent East Region Poll, on Friday at the Softball Complex.

The Dolphins claimed a 7-5 win over the visiting Purple Knights during game one on Saturday, then they bested Saint Michael's 12-1 in five innings during the second half of the doubleheader.

Six Le Moyne seniors were honored prior to game one on Saturday for their dedication and contributions to the Le Moyne softball program: #2 Isabelle Boudreau, #11 Jillian Dunn, #13 Dominique Russo, #16 Makenzie Konik, #21 Mckenzie Bergdoll, and #25 Laura Bennett.

"We did exactly what we needed to do today and I'm proud of the total team effort," said Le Moyne head coach Tracey Roman after the games. "We're doing a really good job giving quality at bats and making adjustments at the plate when necessary. We are getting production from every hitter in our lineup including those coming in for pinch-hitting opportunities. Laura (Bennett) battled today against a team that can really swing the bat. CJ (Barrett) calls a great game [as the catcher] which is often overlooked but one of the most critical components to winning games. The two of them work very well together. It's pretty awesome to see all the pieces of the puzzle come together as we head into the final conference games of the season," Roman added.

Redshirt-junior right-handed pitcher Laura Bennett (Corning, N.Y./Corning-Painted Post) earned two wins during the doubleheader, tossing 5.2 innings in relief during game one before throwing all five innings and allowing just three hits and two runs with nine strikeouts in game two.

Sophomore right fielder Alyssa Dybacz (Baldwinsville, N.Y./Charles W. Baker) launched her sixth home run of the season, and fourth in conference play, during the 7-5 win with a two-run home run to center field in the bottom of the second inning, while graduate catcher Cassidy Barrett (Apalachin, N.Y./Vestal) provided a team-best three runs batted in with an RBI-groundout in the first inning, and a two-RBI double in the fifth.

Barrett, 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.) each delivered two hits during game one. Bergdoll and Lardobardiere both recorded an RBI-double and a run scored.

Saint Michael's junior second baseman Angelica Johns and senior center fielder Hope Hiscock recorded two RBIs each during the 7-5 setback, while sophomore right-handed pitcher/infielder Jenna Devens pitched the first 5.0 innings while contributing two hits, an RBI and a run scored as the Purple Knights' three-hitter.

Bennett surrendered two base hits and an RBI sacrifice fly during the first inning of game two, but then she held the Purple Knights to just one hit, one walk and zero runs with seven strikeouts over the final 4.0 frames.

Bergdoll tallied three hits, three RBIs and two runs scored during the 12-1 win, while senior center fielder Isabelle Boudreau (Memramcook, New Brunswick/Mathieu-Martin/Pace) also provided three hits and two runs scored to along with one RBI.

Barrett hammered her third home run of the season – a solo shot to center field – during game two and finished the contest with two hits, two runs batted in and a run scored.

Dybacz added two hits, two RBIs and two runs scored during Le Moyne's ninth home conference win of the campaign.

Purple Knight senior shortstop/center fielder Sadie Pratt recorded a team-best two hits during game two.

As a team, the Dolphins did not record a single strikeout at the plate in the combined 10 half innings that they were on offense during the doubleheader.

With four away games remaining on their regular season schedule, the Dolphins are currently in sixth place in the Northeast-10 Conference Standings with a 12-8 resume against league opponents. Franklin Pierce and the Pace University Setters, who Le Moyne will face in Pleasantville on April 29, are both just ahead of the Dolphins in the standings with an 11-7 conference record each.

During Saturday's doubleheader, Bergdoll and Boudreau improved their batting averages during NE10 games to .444 and .443, respectively, which are good for the second and third best averages among all hitters in the conference.

Bergdoll now leads the league with 25 runs batted in during conference play. Dybacz and Bergdoll are first and second in the NE10 in extra-base hits during conference play with 14 and 13, respectively. Dybacz still leads the league in doubles with 16 on the year.

The Dolphins have now scored at least 10 runs in seven different games this season, which is the most double-digit runs scored games recorded by a Le Moyne team since the 2008 squad.

The Dolphins will return to action on Friday, April 28 when they travel to Garden City, New York for a doubleheader against the No. 15 nationally ranked Adelphi University Panthers (35-6, 15-3 NE10), who are currently atop the NE10 Standings.

Le Moyne will then play a doubleheader at Pace University (22-20, 11-7 NE10) on Saturday for the regular season finale.

Game One:
Sophomore right-hander Julia Panarella (Southington, Conn./Southington) started game one in the circle for Le Moyne. Pratt led off the top of the first with a single to left field, then Johns lifted a home run over the left field wall to give Saint Michael's an early 2-0 lead.

Panarella then got three consecutive ground balls to end the inning.

Dybacz drew a one-out walk with nobody on in the bottom of the first, then Bergdoll swung hard at a 3-2 pitch and smashed a line drive over the left fielder and to the wall which drove in Dybacz from first and gave Bergdoll a standup RBI-double.

Larobardiere stepped to the plate next and ripped a double into the right-center field gap which drove in Bergdoll and tied the game at 2-2.

Freshman designated player Audrey Benderski (Spring Lake Park, Minn./Spring Lake Park) moved Larobardiere over to third and reached base with a hard ground ball to the right side, bringing Barrett to the plate with one out and runners on first and third. Barrett hit a ground ball to the shortstop Pratt, who fielded it and tossed to Johns at second.

Larobardiere was steps away from the plate when Johns stepped on the base for the second out of the inning, then wheeled and fired to first to try and turn the double play.

Barrett hustled down the line and narrowly beat the throw to keep the inning alive and allow the run to score, giving Le Moyne their first lead of the afternoon.

After Saint Michael's loaded the bases with one out in the top of the second, Bennett entered the game to pitch for Le Moyne. Bennett got two consecutive infield popups to strand all three runners and maintain the one-run lead.

Freshman shortstop Avery Linn (Bethpage, N.Y./Plainedge) slapped a bloop single into left field near the foul line for a one-out base hit with nobody on in the bottom of the second, and then with two outs in the inning Dybacz swung at the first pitch she saw – an elevated fastball – and send it flying over the center field fence for a two-run home run that extended Le Moyne's lead to 5-2.

Senior third baseman/shortstop Haley Waghorn and Hiscock produced back-to-back hits to lead off the top of the fifth, then Bennett recorded two consecutive strikeouts followed by a flyout to end the inning and strand the runners.

Le Moyne scored their final two runs of the game in the bottom of the fifth.

Bergdoll led off the inning with a base hit through the left side of the infield, then senior outfielder Dominique Russo (Hopewell Junction, N.Y./John Jay) came in to pinch run, and she immediately stole second base. Larobadiere hit a ground ball to third base during the next at bat, and Waghorn checked Russo at second base after she fielded it and before she threw across the diamond to first. As soon as Waghorn made her throw, Russo took off for third and slid headfirst into the bag before the first baseman Riley Sroczinski could get the ball back across the diamond.

Benderski walked to put runners on first and third, then senior outfielder Jillian Dunn (Fiskdale, Mass./Tantasqua Regional), who delivered the massively important pinch-hit two-RBI walk-off base hit during game one against FPU on Friday, came in to pinch run for Benderski at first.

Barrett smashed an elevated pitch during the next at bat and sent a line drive into right-center field that took one hop and hit the wall. Russo scored easily from third on the play, and Dunn came all the way around from third to score standing up and give the 'Phins a 7-2 advantage.

With one out in the top of the sixth, Johns ripped a line drive towards the left-center field gap that looked like it was going to drop in for a base hit. Le Moyne sophomore left fielder Elaina Kassap (Long Beach, N.Y./Long Beach) ran in towards the ball, then dove headfirst and fully extended her body to make the web gem catch and rob Johns of a hit.

Kassap's diving play in left seemed more important following the next at bat as Devens lifted a solo home run over the center field wall to cut her team's deficit to 7-3.

With two outs and runners on second and third later in the inning, Hiscock drove a pitch over Kassap's head in left for a two-RBI double. The ball rolled to the wall, and Hiscock attempted to turn her hit into a triple. Kassap picked the ball up on the warning track and immediately fired a one-hop throw to Larobardiere at third. Larobardiere moved to her left slightly to field the ball, then scrambled back to her right and applied the tag in time for the final out of the inning, but not before Saint Michael's got two more runs to make it 7-5 in favor of the Dolphins.

Bennett held Saint Michael's scoreless during the top of the seventh to secure the win for the 'Phins.

Game Two:
Once again, Saint Michael's broke the tie in the top of the first, this time on an RBI sacrifice fly from Meghan Connor. And just like in game one, Le Moyne answered with three runs in the bottom of the first.

Boudreau singled through the left side to lead off the inning, then Dybacz moved her into scoring position with a ground ball back to the pitcher.

Bergdoll recorded a double on a blooper to left field during the next at bat, but Boudreau was only able to advance to third on the play as she had to wait to see whether the ball would be caught.

After game two starter Jamie Hearn got an infield popup for the second out of the inning, Benderski hit a bloop single to shallow left-center field that drove in both runners to give Le Moyne a 2-1 lead.

Barrett smashed the first pitch she saw during the next at bat and sent a low line drive past the second baseman and into the right-center field gap to the wall, which drove in Benderski from first to make it 3-1.

After a leadoff base hit into right field by Rinaldi in the bottom of the second, Linn and Boudreau both dropped down sacrifice bunts to move Rinaldi to third. Dybacz drove the runner in with a hard-hit ball back to the pitcher, then Bergdoll drove in Dybacz with a double to the wall in left-center field.

Barrett led off the bottom of the third for Le Moyne and sent a 3-2 pitch flying over the center field wall for her third home run of the season.

Le Moyne scored three more runs during the inning via an RBI-single from Dybacz, and a two-RBI single from Bergdoll.

Bennett struck out the side in the top of the fourth, then the 'Phins added two more runs in the bottom of the inning to establish a 12-1 lead.

Bennett tallied two more strikeouts during a 1-2-3 top of the fifth to end the game.