Loretto, Pa. – The Le Moyne College softball team traveled to Saint Francis and took on the Red Flash in a conference doubleheader to open their season series on Friday afternoon. The Dolphins dropped game one, 3-2, before being edged out, 15-14, in the second leg of the doubleheader.

Game 1:
Following a 1-2-3 top of the first inning for Le Moyne's offense, Saint Francis cracked the scoreboard in the bottom of the frame. Right fielder AB Cipalla doubled to right before advancing to third on a wild pitch early in the inning and was driven in on a single to center field off the bat of left fielder Sofia Zielinski to give the Red Flash a 1-0 lead.

The Dolphins avoided allowing Saint Francis to extend their lead in the bottom of the fourth as Zielinski, who doubled to left center to lead off the inning, was tagged out at home on a throw from junior left fielder Avery Linn (Bethpage, N.Y/Plainedge) in the next at-bat.

Linn tied the game for Le Moyne in the top of the following frame, as she singled to center field to score junior pinch runner Alayna Bush (Adams, N.Y./South Jefferson) from third. Bush was subbed in for junior first baseman Audrey Benderski (Spring Lake Park, Mn./Spring Lake Park) who doubled to right field earlier in the inning.

The Red Flash bounced back in the bottom of the fifth and took a 3-1 lead as back-to-back walks allowed by freshman reliever Nevaeh Ross (Friendship, N.Y./Friendship) led to a pair of runs off consecutive RBI singles from first baseman Olivia Ulam and Zielinski. 

Le Moyne was able to get out of a jam that saw runners get on second and third in the bottom of the sixth, and clawed back for a run in the seventh as Benderski led off with a solo homer to left, her third of the season.

Despite loading the bases with one out later in the inning, the Dolphins were unable to push another run across the plate and fell to Saint Francis, 3-2, in the opening game of their doubleheader.

Freshman Isabella Kwashek (West Deptford, N.J./West Deptford) started the game in the circle for the Dolphins and ended her outing allowing one run on five hits and two walks while striking out one in 4.0 innings. Ross allowed two runs on four hits and two walks while striking out one in the final two innings for the 'Phins.

Offensively, Benderski led the way going 3-3 with one homerun, one RBI, and one run scored in the loss.

Game 2:
Le Moyne struck first in game two, plating a pair of runs in the top of the second off a single up the middle from sophomore left fielder Gabriella Zarcone (Smithtown, N.Y./Smithtown). Benderski, who reached on a fielder's choice, and senior catcher Elaina Kassap (Long Beach, N.Y./Long Beach), who singled up the middle to get on base, scored on the play.

A hit batter (third baseman Aliya Garroway) and two straight singles from catcher Annabelle Farmer and starting pitcher Olivia Kolowitz led to a pair of runs for Saint Francis and a tie game in the bottom of the second as shortstop Hannah Bendle singled to center later in the frame to score the two lead runners. 

Each squad put up a four-spot in their half of the third inning, keeping the game tied, 6-6. First, Le Moyne added four runs on one swing of the bat as Benderski smacked a grand slam over the center field wall for her second round-tripper of the afternoon. Senior second baseman Dominique Rinaldi (Sayville, N.Y./Sayville), sophomore center fielder Sydney Nesci (Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse), and freshman third baseman Cianna Benamati (Ballston Lake, N.Y./Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake) came around to score on the play.

In the bottom of the inning, the Red Flash added four runs with the first coming around to score as Ulam hit a solo homerun to right center. Three batters later, after two reached base on a fielding error and walk, respectively, Farmer came to the plate and tied the game with a homer of her own, a three-run shot to left center field.

Center fielder Savannah Nash gave Saint Francis the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning, hitting the team's third homer of the game, a solo shot over the right field wall, before Zielinski and Garroway slapped back-to-back run-scoring groundouts to put the squad up, 9-6.

Le Moyne retook the lead for the third time in the top of the fifth as Benderski walked and freshman catcher Ava Todd (Savannah, N.Y./Tyburn Academy) singled to third base to occupy the paths early in the frame. Benderski's pinch runner, Bush, crossed the plate on an infield grounder off the bat of Zarcone one batter later to lessen their deficit to two runs. 

Sophomore pinch hitter Molly Wolf (Horseheads, N.Y./Horseheads) then drove in Todd with an RBI single to third before senior right fielder Alyssa Dybacz (Baldwinsville, N.Y./C.W. Baker) laced a double to right center to score two and give Le Moyne a 10-9 lead late in the game.

Saint Francis once again tied the game in the bottom of the sixth as Farmer singled to right center to drive in second baseman Addie Smith who was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning.

A high shot down the right field line off the bat of Zarcone to lead off the seventh put the Dolphins back in the lead, 11-10, as she raced around the bases and came in to score on what became her first career homerun. 

Three batters later, following a walk to Wolf and double from Dybacz, Nesci came to plate and slammed the squad's third homer of the day, a three-run shot that gave them a four-run advantage by the end of the frame. The knock marked her second homerun of the season.

The Red Flash pulled back within three runs, making the score 14-11 in the bottom of the seventh as Ulam hit a bases-loaded single to left field to score Nash. The next batter, Zielinski, broke the game open and gave Saint Francis the 15-14 win with a grand slam.

At the plate, 10 different Dolphins recorded a hit while five tallied RBI in game two. Benderski and Zarcone each drove in four runs, while Nesci added another three in the loss.

What's Next:
Le Moyne will have an off-day tomorrow before playing in their final game of the series against Saint Francis at noon on Sunday, Mar. 23.