San Antonio, T.X. – The Le Moyne College softball team fell in both of their games on day one of the UT San Antonio Birds Up Bash on Friday, Feb. 28. The Dolphins dropped game one against Houston, 5-2, before coming up just short in game two against host UTSA, 8-7.
Game 1:
Houston got on the board in the top of the first as early walks to DP Maddie Hartley and left fielder Gabby Rawls led to a throwing error on a steal attempt to score Hartley from third. Despite walking the bases loaded, sophomore starting pitcher Arianna Exarchakis (Monroe, N.Y./Monroe-Woodbury) was able to get out of the two-out jam by inducing an inning-ending fielder's choice.
The Dolphins worked the bases loaded in the bottom of the first inning as junior left fielder Avery Linn (Bethpage, N.Y./Plainedge) led off with a bloop single to left field, senior right fielder Alyssa Dybacz (Baldwinsville, N.Y./C.W. Baker) worked a walk, and Exarchakis reached on an error to third but two straight outs prevented the squad from bringing a run across to tie the game.
A lead-off double by catcher Reece Cammarn led to Houston's second run of the game in the top of the second as the runner advanced to third on a sac bunt off the bat of shortstop Kayley Prudhomme before scoring on a wild pitch.
Following a bottom of the second that saw the 'Phins leave two runners on, the Cougars got a pair of runners in scoring position with two outs due to a left-field single from center fielder Jordee Wilkins and a single up the middle off the bat of right fielder Ariel Redmond. A wild pitch allowed Wilkins to score and Houston to take a 3-0 lead later in the frame.
Houston crossed the plate again and added a run to the board in the top of the fifth after Wilkins was hit by a pitch and Redmond doubled to left to lead off the inning. Freshman Isabella Kwashek (West Deptford, N.J./West Deptford) was tabbed to appear in relief of Exarchakis and allowed a single through the right side to score the lead runner.
The Cougars added on and took a 5-0 lead in the inning after sophomore shortstop Kayley Prudhomme doubled to right center to drive in Redmond. Sophomore second baseman Bethany Aguilar was tagged out at the plate on the play by senior catcher Elaina Kassap (Long Beach, N.Y./Long Beach) after a pinpoint throw came in from Dybacz in right field to save another run.
Le Moyne put together a rally in the bottom of the fifth and put two runs on the board first due to a double-steal after Linn reached base on an error by the shortstop to lead off and senior shortstop Dominique Rinaldi (Sayville, N.Y./Sayville) reached on a fielder's choice right after. Singles to center by Dybacz and right by Exarchakis moved Rinaldi to third base before a fielder's choice on a slap to third by sophomore center fielder Sydney Nesci (Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) allowed the lead runner to score and lessened the 'Phins deficit to three.
The Dolphins flashed the leather in the next two innings, keeping Houston scoreless, first on a single to left field off the bat of Wilkins that led to a textbook relay from Linn in left to Rinaldi at short to Kassap behind the dish, who applied the tag, which ended the sixth. A hot shot that ricocheted off of Kwashek in the pitching circle by Cammarn was later fielded by Rinaldi who stepped on second and threw to junior first baseman Audrey Benderski (Spring Lake Park, M.N./Spring Lake Park) to complete an inning-ending double play in the seventh.
Despite a one-out single up the middle by Dybacz, Le Moyne was unable to put together a run in the bottom of the seventh and fell to the Cougars, 5-2, in game one.
Game 2:
Following a 1-2-3 top of the first, UTSA put together a two-out rally that culminated in five runs crossing the plate in the bottom of the frame. A walk to DP Kalee Rochinski, single to center by catcher Makayla Madrid, and hit-by-pitch taken by first baseman Crislyne Moreno loaded the bases with two gone before right fielder Jaylen Prichard singled through the left side to drive in the two lead runners with the third scoring on a throwing error. Starting pitcher Katia Reyes immediately followed with a two-run homer to right center, putting the RoadRunners up, 5-0, early in game two.
After a quiet second and third, Le Moyne came to bat in the top of the fourth and lessened their deficit to two runs. Lead-off walks to Dybacz and Exarchakis led to a three-run homerun over the center field wall by Nesci, her first round-tripper of the season and the Dolphins first hit of the game.
The Dolphins added on in the fifth, as freshman shortstop Maddie Martin (Carlisle, P.A./Cumberland Valley) led off the inning with a walk before stealing second and third. Two batters later, Rinaldi slapped a ball down the third base line and reached on a fielder's choice as Martin took off from third and was called safe at the plate after sliding under the tag, bringing Le Moyne within one.
Four quiet innings passed for freshman starter Nevaeh Ross (Friendship, N.Y./Friendship) following the opening frame before a single from Moreno and a walk by Prichard brought Reyes to the plate once again. The shortstop connected on her second homerun of the game, this time a three-run shot, to extend UTSA's lead back to four, 8-4.
Le Moyne worked a last-inning rally in the seventh as Benderski walked to lead-off, Kassap reached on a fielding error, and junior pinch hitter Alexandra Chesney (Malverne, N.Y./Sacred Heart Academy) singled to right center to drive in sophomore Gabriella Zarcone (Smithtown, N.Y./Smithtown East), Benderski's pinch runner. Following a pitching change, Linn laid down a sac bunt and reached on a throwing error by the third baseman which allowed both Kassap and Chesney's pinch runner, Martin, to score.
Three quick outs followed for the Dolphins as they fell just short of completing the comeback against the RoadRunners.
What's Next:
Le Moyne (2-10) will hit RoadRunner Field for day two of the Birds Up Bash tomorrow, Saturday, Mar. 1 and take on Boise State at 10:30 a.m. before a second game based on seeding occurs at a time TBD later in the afternoon. Follow all schedule updates, here.
