Syracuse, N.Y. – The Le Moyne College softball team (16-34, 7-13 NEC) hosted Stonehill College (12-33, 6-18 NEC) for a home conference series on Monday. The Skyhawks won the first game 4-2, and The Dolphins won the second game 9-8.
"I thought we came out a little flat today" said head
Tracey Roman. "With the number of games we play in a season it can be easy to let a game slip away without the right focus. We regained our focus in game two and overcame a seven run deficit which took a total team effort. Arianna had another strong outing in the circle and helped her own cause by getting her first career homerun. We might have some miscues from time to time, but overall our team continues to get better as the season progresses."
First Game:
Junior right fielder
Alyssa Dybacz (Baldwinsville, N.Y. / Charles W. Baker) lead off with a triple down the right field line. Redshirt junior third baseman
Frankie Larobardiere (North Syracuse, N.Y. / Cicero-North Syracuse/ Onondaga C.C.) then doubled to left center bringing home Dybacz to out a run on the board for the Dolphins (1-0).
The Skyhawks responded in the top of the third with Piper Hofmann hitting a single to the pitcher. Natalie Bottiglie then singled down the right field line and Hofmann advanced to second. Both runners stole bases to get on second and third. Bottiglie then advanced to third and Hofmann scored on an error (obstruction) by the shortstop (1-1)
Stonehill added two more runs in the top of the fourth with Haleigh Reed hitting a single up the middle. Maeve Prouix entered the game to pinch run for Reed at first. Chloe Kelly then singled to left and bringing home Prouix (2-1). Bottiglie hit another single to left field as Kelly scored giving the Skyhawks a 2-1 lead over the Dolphins. They would add another run at the top of the sixth with Hofmann drawing a walk and Jessica Brill singling to center bringing home Hofmann (4-1).
The Dolphins would add one more run at the bottom of the sixth starting with graduate student catcher
Brandi Feeney (Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse/Saint Peter's) hitting a single to right center.
Sophomore outfielder
Emilee Gallagher (New Windsor, N.Y. / Newburgh Free Academy) entered the game pinch running for Feeney at first. Freshman second baseman
Shannon Gavigan (Havertown, Pa. / Haverford) then drew a walk while Gallagher advanced to second. Freshman pitcher
Arianna Exarchakis (Monroe, N.Y. / Monore-Woodbury) entered to pinch hit and singled to center bringing home Gallagher (2-4). The Dolphins would come up short in the first game with the Skyhawks taking the win 4-2.
Second Game:
In the second game of the day, both teams went scoreless until the bottom of the second where graduate first baseman
Mckenzie Bergdoll (Attleboro, Mass./Attleboro) singled to left field. Sophomore designated player
Audrey Benderski (Spring Lake Park, Minn./Spring Lake Park) then reached on a fielder's choice, but Bergdoll would be tagged at second. Exarchakis singled to left field as Benderski advanced to second. Gallagher entered to pinch run for Benderski at second and
freshman outfielder
Kara Bacon (Warrensburg, N.Y. / Warrensburg) entered to pinch run for Exarchakis at first. Freshman left-fielder
Sydney Nesci (Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) then singled to left field as Bacon advanced to second and Gallagher advanced to third. Junior catcher
Elaina Kassap (Long Beach, N.Y. / Long Beach) followed by reaching on a fielder's choice to the pitcher. Nesci advanced to second and advanced to third off a muffed throw by first base. Bacon advanced to third scoring on the error, but Gallagher would be tagged at home by the catcher (1-0).
Stonehill would go on to score seven runs in the top of the third. Brill scored first for the Skyhawks off a single to first base from Paige Wodarski (1-1). Harper Sullivan and Prouix both scored off a single from May Dawes up the middle (3-1). Alyssa Grossi and Dawes would then score off a single up the middle from Emily Nardelli (5-1). Bottiglie brought in another run as she singled up the middle and advanced to second off the throw. Nardelli advanced to third then scored on an error by the shortstop (obstruction) (6-1). Brill singled to left and advanced to second on the throw as Bottiglie would score (7-1) and then following, Sullivan singled through the right side bringing home Brill (8-1).
In the bottom of the third, the Dolphins came back fighting as Dybacz lead-off with a single to left field. Junior shortstop
Dominique Rinaldi (Sayville, NY/Sayville) followed with a double to left field while Dybacz advanced to third. Larobardiere then reached first off an error by shortstop loading the bases. Freshman third baseman
Molly Wolf (Horseheads, N.Y. / Horseheads) entered the game to pinch run for Larobardiere at first. Bergdoll then reached on a fielder's choice as Dybacz would cross Homeplate (2-8).
Freshman third baseman
Molly Wolf (Horseheads, N.Y. / Horseheads) entered pinch running for Bergdoll at second and would advance to second off a wild pitch. Exarchakis then reached on a fielder's choice bringing home Rinaldi (3-8). Nesci followed drawing a walk and landing on first and Exarchakis moved to second. Kassap then doubled to right field bringing home Nesci, Exarchakis and Bush (6-8). Gavigan brought home the last run with a single to shortstop as Kassap would score (7-8).
The Dolphins felt a fire in them heading into the bottom of the fourth. Bergdoll singled through the left side landing on first. Benderski then hit a sacrifice bunt to second base as Bergdoll would advance to second. Exarchakis stepped up hitting her first career homerun over the left field bringing in Bergdoll solidifying the 9-8 win for the Dolphins.
Exarchakis would be credited the win this game bringing her record to 5-12 and graduate pitcher
Laura Bennett (Corning, NY/Corning-Painted Post) would be credited the save this game recorded two saves this season.
The Dolphin's next game will be tomorrow Tuesday, April 30
th to finish their series against Stonehill. Tomorrow's game will take place at 11am at the Le Moyne Softball Complex - Syracuse, NY
