Emmitsburg, Md. – The Le Moyne College softball team took both games of their doubleheader on day one of their weekend tournament against Mount St. Mary's on Friday afternoon. The Dolphins came away with a shutout 4-0 victory in game one before downing the Mount, 10-6, in game two.
Game 1:
Following a top of the first in which two Le Moyne batters, senior right fielder Alyssa Dybacz (Baldwinsville, N.Y./C.W. Baker) and sophomore DP Arianna Exarchakis (Monroe, N.Y./Monroe-Woodbury), singled but were unable to come around to score and a bottom of the frame in which 'Phin's starter, freshman Nevaeh Ross (Friendship, N.Y./Friendship), struck out the side, the team got a rally going and plated three runs in the second inning.
Junior first baseman Audrey Benderski (Spring Lake Park, M.N./Spring Lake Park) reached on a fielding error to lead off the inning before freshman third baseman Cianna Benamati (Ballston Lake, N.Y./Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake) walked to advance Benderski's pinch runner junior Alayna Bush (Adams, N.Y./South Jefferson). Senior catcher Elaina Kassap (Long Beach, N.Y./Long Beach) followed with a sac bunt to move both runners into scoring position.
Junior Alexandra Chesney (Malverne, N.Y./Sacred Heart Academy) was called on to pinch hit and drove in the first run of the game on a bunt single. The next batter, junior Avery Linn (Bethpage, N.Y./Plainedge), laid down another bunt as both runners on the paths came around to score. The Dolphins' rally ended with the team up 3-0 after their half of the second inning.
By the time Le Moyne found the scoreboard again in the top of the seventh, Ross had thrown 6.0 innings of three-hit ball in which she struck out nine and allowed only two runners to advance into scoring position.
The Dolphins put the finishing touches on their game one win in the top of the seventh inning as both senior second baseman Dominique Rinaldi (Sayville, N.Y./Sayville) and Dybacz singled to the outfield early before advancing on a wild pitch. Sophomore center fielder Sydney Nesci (Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) plated the final run of the game with a single through the left side that drove in Rinaldi.
Ross allowed a single up the middle to center fielder Maya Alvarez to lead off the bottom of the seventh, but was able to put away the next three batters in order to finish out the complete game shutout. The starter's final line was no runs on four hits and two walks with nine strikeouts over 7.0 innings.
Dybacz, Exarchakis, and Nesci led the Dolphins, each going 2-4, while four other Le Moyne players recorded a hit in the victory. Exarchakis' double in the sixth marked the only extra-base hit of the game, while freshman shortstop Maddie Martin (Carlisle, P.A./Cumberland Valley) and pinch runner Kara Bacon (Warrensburg, N.Y./Warrensburg) each stole a bag against the Mount.
Game 2:
Le Moyne struck first again in game two as Rinaldi reached on a fielding error by Mount St. Mary's center fielder and was able to advance all the way to third base. The next batter, Dybacz, doubled to left center to drive in the leadoff hitter before Nesci allowed her to score with a single through the left side later in the inning.
The Mount clawed back in the bottom of the inning, tying the score at two behind a leadoff single to left from center fielder Gina Del Giorno who later came around to score on a groundout to second off the bat of DP Olivia Murphy. Two straight singles from catcher Tristin Koerner and first baseman Courtney Chew allowed left fielder Grace Koberg to come to the plate and a second run scored on a fielding error before the team's rally ended as Chew was tagged out at third base.
The Dolphins added on in the third as Rinaldi walked and stole second early in the inning before Exarchakis batted the run in with a single to right field. Nesci doubled to left before two straight fielding errors allowed her and Benderski to score, giving Le Moyne a 5-2 advantage. A single to right field off the bat of Kassap drove in Benamati later in the inning to put the 'Phins up by four.
Mount St. Mary's got a run back in the bottom of the third as Del Giorno led off with a triple to right center and eventually came around to score on a fielding error during the play.
In the top of the fourth, Le Moyne grabbed a five-run lead, 8-3, as Benderski doubled to right center to score both Dybacz and Nesci who had singled to right center and walked, respectively, earlier in the inning.
The Mount again fought back for one run in the bottom of the inning as Koberg walked and advanced to second on an infield single before second baseman Korri Brown reached on a fielding error and the runner came around to score.
After a quiet fifth, the Dolphins scraped together another run in each of the next two innings. First, in the top of the sixth, Rinaldi walked and stole second before advancing to third on an Exarchakis single to right field and scoring as Nesci grounded out to second base. Then, in the sixth, Benamati led off the inning with a single to short before advancing to second and stealing third during the following two at-bats. Sophomore pinch hitter Molly Wolf (Horseheads, N.Y./Horseheads) then reached on a fielding error by the right fielder and Benamati scored, giving Le Moyne double-digit runs.
Mount St. Mary's put together a rally in the bottom of the seventh, scoring a pair of runs on a double to right center by Koerner, but Ross, who came in relief, struck out Chew swinging for the third out to finish game two.
On the mound, freshman starter Isabella Kwashek (West Deptford, N.J./West Deptford) allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits through two innings while Ross hurled 5.0 innings of three-run ball on three hits and three walks while striking out three in relief.
Four Dolphins registered two hits in the win, while Nesci and Benderski led the way with a pair of RBI each. Rinaldi's three runs scored were a season-high for the squad, as well.
What's Next:
Le Moyne (4-13) will take on Morgan State on Our Lady of the Meadows Field on day two of the Mount St. Mary's Tournament tomorrow, Saturday, Mar. 8 at 11:00 a.m.
