Pleasantville, N.Y. – The Pace University Setters (24-22, 13-9 NE10) claimed two conference victories at home over the Le Moyne College softball team (23-20, 12-10 NE10) on Thursday afternoon to regain fifth place from the Dolphins in the NE10 Standings.

Game one shook out as a pitcher's duel between Le Moyne redshirt-sophomore right-hander Laura Bennett (Corning, N.Y./Corning-Painted Post) and Pace's sophomore righty Gisselle Garcia.

The game was tied 1-1 in the final inning when Pace junior catcher/third baseman Jenny Jordan delivered a pinch-hit RBI single in the bottom of the frame to give the Setters a 2-1 walk-off victory.

Pace junior right-hander Anna Acevedo held the 'Phins to three hits and zero runs in 7.0 innings of work during the second half of the doubleheader to lead the Setters to a 5-0 win. Freshman first baseman Haley Rusbuldt recorded a team-high three RBI for the Setters during game two.

Garcia struck out the first nine Le Moyne batters she faced during game one to take a perfect game to the fourth inning, then sophomore right fielder Alyssa Dybacz (Baldwinsville, N.Y./Charles W. Baker) recorded Le Moyne's first hit and broke the 0-0 tie with one swing, hammering a 1-2 riseball over the left-center field fence to give the Dolphins a 1-0 lead. The home run was Dybacz's seventh of the season, as well as her NE10-leading 15^th extra-base hit during conference play. Dybacz now has 34 RBI on the year, which is one behind the team-leader Mckenzie Bergdoll (Attleboro, Mass./Attleboro), who has a 35 runs batted in through 42 starts in 2023.

Bennett allowed just two baserunners during the first three innings, then Pace manufactured the tying run in the bottom of the fourth. Junior DP Sammi Swenson led off the inning with a walk, then sophomore left fielder Jade Alvarado moved Swenson into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. During the next at bat, senior center fielder Gwen Pederson ripped a double to left field to drive in Swenson and tie the game at 1-1.

Graduate catcher Cassidy Barrett (Apalachin, N.Y./Vestal) fouled off multiple two-strike pitches before drawing a one-out walk in the top of the fifth, but Garcia was able to keep Barrett's pinch-runner Dominique Russo (Hopewell Junction, N.Y./John Jay) out of scoring position, recording a fielder's choice and a bunt groundout to end the inning.

Bennett recorded a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the fifth, then senior center fielder Isabelle Boudreau (Memramcook, New Brunswick/Mathieu-Martin/Pace) ripped a one-out double to left field with nobody on in the top of the sixth.

Dybacz stepped to the plate next, and Garcia quickly got ahead in the count 0 and 2. Dybacz took a ball high, then fouled off a two-strike pitch, then took another ball high and away to even the count at 2 and 2. Dybacz fouled off the 2-2 delivery, then took another ball to bring the count full at 3 and 2.

Dybacz just missed the 3-2 pitch and hit a high fly ball to left-center field that was caught by Pederson.

Bennett worked around a leadoff single in the bottom of the seventh to keep the game tied at 1-1 going into the final inning, but Le Moyne went down 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh.

Bennett retired the first two batters she faced in the bottom of the seventh, then Pace senior Carolina Iturriaga swung at a first-pitch changeup and ripped a line drive down the left field line.

Le Moyne sophomore left fielder Elaina Kassap (Long Beach, N.Y./Long Beach) sprinted after the ball and quickly got it in to the cutoff, freshman shortstop Avery Linn (Bethpage, N.Y./Plainedge), who turned and fired to Dominique Rinaldi (Sayville, N.Y./Sayville) at second base. Rinaldi applied the tag as Iturriaga slid into second base, but Iturriaga narrowly beat the throw and was ruled safe.

Gordon entered the game as a pinch hitter, and fell behind 0-2 before working the count full. On the 3-2 delivery from Bennett, Gordon hit a bloop single to the right side of second base that allowed the pinch runner Arianna Guarracino to score from second and give the Setters a 2-1 walk-off win.

The Setters took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second during game two, then added four runs in the fourth to take a 5-0 lead.

Freshman DP Audrey Benderski (Spring Lake Park, Minn./Spring Lake Park) recorded a team-high two hits during the 5-0 setback, while Linn provided a double with one out in the third as the Dolphins trailed 2-0. Boudreau moved Linn over to third with a ground ball to the left side, and Dybacz was hit by a pitch to give the 'Phins runners on first and third, then Bergdoll smoked a line drive over the right side of the infield and towards the right field line, but Pace's sophomore right fielder Alexa Borino made a tremendous play to catch the line drive in fair territory and rob Bergdoll of a potential two-RBI extra-base hit.

Benderski hit a one-out double to the wall in right-center field with nobody on base in the top of the fourth, but Acevedo got a flyout and a strikeout to end the inning and strand the pinch runner Russo at second base.

Le Moyne sophomore right-hander Julia Panarella (Southington, Conn./Southington) pitched the first 3.1 innings for Le Moyne during game two, then Bennett replaced her during the bottom of the fourth. Panarella re-entered the circle for the bottom of the sixth and recorded a scoreless inning.

The Dolphins were unable to put a runner in scoring position during the final three innings as the Setters, who are ranked #7 in the most recent East Region Poll, held on for a 5-0 win.

The 'Phins will play their final regular season doubleheader on Friday against #14 Adelphi University Panthers (39-6, 19-3 NE10), who are ranked #1 in the 10-team East Region Poll.

The Dolphins are currently in sixth place in the NE10 Standings with a 12-10 NE10 resume.

Assumption, Southern New Hampshire, and New Haven each have four games remaining on their conference schedules, and they are all tied for 7^th place in the standings behind the Dolphins with a conference record of 10-10.

The top eight teams in the NE10 Standings earn a spot in the postseason tournament.