San Antonio, T.X. – The Le Moyne College softball team dropped both matchups against Boise State University on Saturday, Mar. 1 in San Antonio, T.X. The Broncos took game one, 13-5 in six innings, before similarly coming away with a 13-4 victory, cut short in six innings, in the seed-based game two.
Game 1:
Boise State got on the board in the bottom of the second inning as DP Sydney Groves came up first and sent a solo shot over the left field wall off of Le Moyne's freshman starter Isabella Kwashek (West Deptford, N.J./West Deptford) to put the Broncos up, 1-0, early.
The Dolphins tied the game at one as freshman shortstop Maddie Martin (Carlisle, P.A./Cumberland Valley) led off the third inning by reaching base on a dropped third strike before advancing to second and third on wild pitches. Senior second baseman Dominique Rinaldi (Sayville, N.Y./Sayville) drove her in two batters later with a sac fly to center. Walks by senior right fielder Alyssa Dybacz (Baldwinsville, N.Y./C.W. Baker) and sophomore DP Arianna Exarchakis (Monroe, N.Y./Monroe-Woodbury) later in the inning weren't able to lead to runs as the frame came to an end one batter later.
In the bottom of the inning, first baseman Makenzie Butt doubled over the head of Dybacz in right field to drive in center fielder Sophia Knight who reached on a bunt single and stole second before advancing to third on a fly out to right earlier in the third.
The Broncos' 2-1 lead didn't last long as Le Moyne answered immediately in the top of the fourth. Junior first baseman Audrey Benderski (Spring Lake Park, M.N./Spring Lake Park) led off with a single through the right side and was replaced on the basepaths by junior Alayna Bush (Adams, N.Y./South Jefferson) who stole second two batters later. Martin drove the runner in and tied the game with a single up the middle.
Following a lead off single through the left side off the bat of Groves in the bottom of the fourth, left fielder Megan Lake gave Boise State their first multi-run lead of the game, 4-2, with a two-run shot over the center field wall. Freshman Nevaeh Ross (Friendship, N.Y./Friendship) was tabbed to come in relief for the Dolphins and three more runs came across to score in the frame as back-to-back fielder's choices and a hit-by-pitch gave way for Butt to double to right center to put the Broncos up by five.
Le Moyne lessened their deficit in the top of the fifth, as junior left fielder Avery Linn (Bethpage, N.Y./Plainedge) led off with a single through the right side and came around to score due to an obstruction call at the plate following a Rinaldi double to the right-center gap. The Dolphins added on in the inning as Exarchakis sent a shot through the left side following a Dybacz single to drive in Rinaldi from third.
The next batter, sophomore center fielder Sydney Nesci (Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse), reached on an infield single to lead the bases partly in thanks to smart base running from Dybacz as she ran from second to third. The lead runner came around to score one batter later as Benderski grounded into a 6-4-3 double play, bringing Le Moyne back within two runs, 7-5, in the fifth.
Boise State re-extended their lead to three runs in the bottom of the fifth, as Groves singled to left and made her way to third on a grounder and passed ball before pinch hitter Leah McAnally singled to right center and drove in the runner.
After a 1-2-3 top of the inning, right fielder Mykenzie Hanna opened the bottom of the sixth with the Broncos' third round-tripper of the day before junior Rose Nicastro (Webster, N.Y./Webster Thomas) entered the pitching circle for the Dolphins. Groves came to bat later in the inning and pushed the lead to seven, 12-5, with her second homerun of the day, this time a three-run shot, following a double and hit-by-pitch that occupied the bases.
Boise State took an eight-run lead, 13-5, and ended the game early later in the sixth inning as a double to right center by third baseman Quinn Southerland drove in Lake from second.
Offensively, seven different Dolphins recorded a hit with Dybacz going 2-2 with one walk and one run scored. Rinaldi's two RBI led the squad as she went 1-2 with one run scored in the game.
Game 2:
Le Moyne struck first in the top of the opening frame, as Linn walked, Dybacz singled up the middle, and Exarchakis walked to load the bases before Nesci watched four balls and took first to push the lead runner across. After a pitching change, the Dolphins rally was cut short as Benderski flied out to left center and Dybacz took off for home but was ruled as having left early, keeping the team to one run.
The Broncos answered immediately, as Knight beat out an infield single to third to lead off before stealing second and coming around to score on a Hanna single to right. Boise State took the lead three batters later as Hanna stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch before scoring on a fielder's choice later in the inning.
Freshman third baseman Cianna Benamati (Ballston Lake, N.Y./Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake) evened the game, 2-2, in the top of the second, sending a shot to the scoreboard behind the left center wall for her third homer of the season.
Following a lead off walk by Rinaldi in the top of the third, junior pinch hitter Alexandra Chesney (Malverne, N.Y./Sacred Heart Academy) came up with a clutch pinch-hit bloop over the first baseman's head. Hanna in right field couldn't corral the ball cleanly, allowing Rinaldi to round third and score, giving the Dolphins a 3-2 lead.
The squad added on in the inning as walks to Benderski and Benamati loaded the bases before senior catcher Elaina Kassap (Long Beach, N.Y./Long Beach) worked Le Moyne's seventh walk of the game and forced a run as Chesney strolled across the plate.
Boise State brought the score back within one, 4-3, in the bottom of the frame, as Butt homered to left to lead off the inning against the Dolphins' reliever Ross. The Broncos added two more and took the lead in the inning behind a walk by Groves, double off the bat of Lake to right field, and groundout to second by shortstop Hollie Farmer.
The Broncos' lead was extended to five in the bottom of the fifth as Farmer singled to left to drive in Groves and first baseman Brooklynn Pettis' pinch-runner, Skylar Stroh, before McAnally doubled to right center to score Lake. Kwashek was brought in to relieve Ross for Le Moyne, and a groundout to first off the bat of Southerland allowed Farmer to score, giving Boise State a 9-4 advantage.
A double to right center off the bat of Hanna to lead off bottom of the next inning led to another run as a single to center from Butt in the next at-bat allowed the runner to cross the plate.
The Broncos ended the game via run rule in the sixth as Hanna homered to center field to lead off before Nicastro came in relief and allowed a double by Butt and hit a batter to give way to Groves to send a three-run homer over the right center wall. Up 12-5, Lake worked a walk and later came in to score on a Southerland double to right center.
What's Next:
Le Moyne (2-12) will round out the Birds Up Bash against UTSA at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow, Sunday, Mar. 2.
