Garden City, N.Y. – The Le Moyne College softball team (23-22, 12-12 NE10) dropped their final doubleheader of the regular season on Friday against the No. 14-nationally ranked Adelphi University Panthers (41-6, 21-3 NE10), the squad currently atop both the NE10 Conference Standings and the East Region Poll. However, the Dolphins have officially earned a spot in the Northeast-10 Conference Championship. With one day remaining in the NE10 regular season schedule, the 'Phins cannot fall below the eighth spot in the conference standings.

Southern New Hampshire (18-20, 11-11 NE10), Assumption (19-17, 11-11 NE10), and New Haven (16-29, 11-11 NE10) will each play their final doubleheader of the regular season on Saturday, and depending on how things shake out the Dolphins will receive either the sixth, seventh or eighth seed in the NE10 postseason tournament (The top eight seeds in the NE10 Standings qualify for the conference championship).

On Friday in Garden City, the 'Phins battled Adelphi junior right-handed pitcher Lindsey Hibbs during game one of their regular season finale doubleheader. Hibbs, coming off a 25-strikeout game on Thursday against Saint Rose, is in the midst of a historic season. With 12 strikeouts against the Dolphins on Friday, Hibbs set a new Northeast-10 Conference single-season strikeout record with 356 Ks on the year.

Hibbs is the first NE10 pitcher to record 300 or more strikeouts in a season since Le Moyne's Sarah Harrison accomplished the feat in 2012.

Le Moyne sophomore right fielder Alyssa Dybacz (Baldwinsville, N.Y./Charles W. Baker) and graduate catcher Cassidy Barrett (Apalachin, N.Y./Vestal) both went 2-3 at the plate against Hibbs in game one, while sophomore left fielder Elaina Kassap (Long Beach, N.Y./Long Beach) added an infield single.

Dybacz put together a great at bat against Hibbs in the opening frame that led to Le Moyne taking a 1-0 lead on the defending Northeast-10 Conference and NCAA East Region Champions. After senior center fielder Isabelle Boudreau (Memramcook, New Brunswick/Mathieu-Martin/Pace) led off the top of the first by putting the ball in play towards the left side and beating the throw to first base, Dybacz fell behind in the count 1 and 2, then fouled off multiple two-strike pitches and worked the count full before smashing a line drive into the left-center field gap. The Adelphi center fielder was unable to cut off the ball in the gap, and it rolled to the wall, allowing Boudreau to score all the way from first base.

Hibbs responded by striking out the next three Le Moyne batters to end the inning and strand Dybacz at second base.

Adelphi scored six runs against Le Moyne starting pitcher Julia Panarella (Southington, Conn./Southington) in the bottom of the first with the help of a grand slam home run from freshman first baseman Brianna Fischer. Panarella then settled in and held the Panthers to just five hits and one run over the next 5.0 frames to record her third complete game of the season.

Barrett led off the top of the second for the 'Phins and fell behind 0-2 against Hibbs, but then fouled off three two-strike pitches before ripping a leadoff single up the middle.

Kassap also fell behind 0-2 during the next at bat then hit a high-and-in pitch towards the right side of the infield and hustled down the line for a base hit, giving the Dolphins runners on first and second with zero outs. Sophomore second baseman Dominique Rinaldi (Sayville, N.Y./Sayville) stepped to the plate next and successfully laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners over to second and third.  Hibbs got a bunt popup for the second out of the inning followed by a groundout to end the inning and strand two Le Moyne runners in scoring position.

Panarella recorded 1-2-3 innings during the second and third frames, then Adelphi added their final run in the bottom of the fourth on a Zee Zee Shreter single up the middle.

Dybacz hammered a line drive back up the middle to lead off the third with her second hit of the game, but Hibbs once again retired the next three batters via strikeout to strand Dybacz on base.

The Dolphins were unable to put a runner in scoring position during the final five frames as Hibbs improved her 2023 record to 24-3.

Adelphi started the 2022 NE10 Pitcher of the Year, senior right-hander Claire Fon during the second half of the doubleheader, while Le Moyne sent out two-time NE10 All-Conference honoree Laura Bennett (Corning, N.Y./Corning-Painted Post) to the circle for their regular season finale.

Fon held the Dolphins to just one hit, zero walks and zero runs with five strikeouts during the first 4.0 innings before being replaced by graduate right-hander Tierney Fitzgerald, who allowed just three hits, zero walks and zero runs with two strikeouts over the final 3.0 frames to earn her third save of the season.

Bennett pitched all 6.0 innings for the Dolphins to record her 21^st complete game of the season (second most in the NE10 behind Hibbs' 23 CGs). While she registered a loss on Friday, Bennett's 16 pitching decision wins so far in 2023 is the second highest total in the conference behind Hibbs' 25 wins.

Bennett held the Panthers scoreless during the first three innings, then Adelphi junior third baseman Kendall Winn delivered a two-out solo home run to left field in the bottom of the fourth to give the Panthers a 1-0 lead.

Dybacz once again contributed two hits to the Le Moyne cause during game two against #14 Adelphi. After falling behind 0-2 with one out in the top of the first, Dybacz smashed a hard ground ball to the right side of the infield for a base hit. The 2022 NE10 Second Team All-Conference and All-Rookie Team selection then stole second with two outs in the inning, but Fon recorded a strikeout to strand her on base. Dybacz recorded Le Moyne's only hit against Fon before Adelphi's senior hurler left the game after the fourth inning.

Fitzgerald entered the game for Adelphi in the top of the fifth, and got three consecutive groundouts to record a 1-2-3 inning.

The 'Phins recorded two hits in the top of the sixth. With the Dolphins still facing a 1-0 deficit, freshman shortstop Avery Linn (Bethpage, N.Y./Plainedge) ripped a leadoff single up the middle. Fitzgerald recorded a strikeout for the first out of the inning, then Dybacz ripped a single down the third base line to give Le Moyne runners on first and second.

Adelphi's sophomore shortstop Angelina Kellogg made a great play in the field during the next at bat on a chopper hit up the middle. Kellogg ranged to her left, fielded the ball cleanly, stepped on second base for the second out, then quickly fired to first in time for the inning-ending double play.

Winn added to her RBI total in the bottom of the sixth with a two-RBI double to left-center field, giving the Panthers a 3-0 lead.

Le Moyne freshman DP Audrey Benderski (Spring Lake Park, Minn./Spring Lake Park) recorded an infield single with one out in the top of the seventh, and her pinch runner Emilee Gallagher (New Windsor, N.Y./Newburgh Free Academy) moved into scoring position on a passed ball, but Fitzgerald recorded a strikeout to end the inning and secure the 3-0 win for the Panthers.

During Friday's doubleheader, Dybacz improved her batting average during NE10 play to .430, which is the second best average among all NE10 hitters. With another double during game one on Friday, Dybacz leads all NE10 hitters in total doubles (17), doubles during conference play (11) and extra-base base hits during conference play (16).

Although Bennett was unable to add another conference victory on Friday, her nine NE10 victories in 2023 is tied for the third most in the conference. Her 185 strikeouts on the season are the third-highest total among NE10 pitchers behind Pace's Gisselle Garcia (190 Ks) and Hibbs (356 Ks)

New Haven and Southern New Hampshire will play a doubleheader against each other at 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, while the Assumption Greyhounds play two games against Saint Michael's at the same times.

At the end of the day tomorrow, the Dolphins will know who and where they will be playing for round one of the NE10 Championship. The fifth and sixth seeds in the conference tournament will host a first-round game. The top four seeds will receive a bye in the first round.