Emmitsburg, Md. – The Le Moyne College softball team finished out a perfect 5-0 weekend in the Mount St. Mary's Tournament on Sunday afternoon. The squad took down the host university, 14-3, before coming away with a 7-4 win over Morgan State later in game two.

"I'm thrilled for our team," said head coach Tracey Roman. "Our grueling preseason schedule is paying off. Competing against stronger opponents has taught us how to compete both physically and mentally. We're getting tougher every day and there is simply no quit in this group."

She added, "It's been a total team effort and the depth of our bench is allowing us to be more aggressive than we've ever been both offensively and defensively. We could not have produced a better outcome heading into conference play next week. We'll celebrate on the bus ride home but after that it's back to the grind because there's a whole lot of season left!"

Game 1:
Le Moyne came out to a quick 3-0 lead over Mount St. Mary's in the top of the first, with junior left fielder Avery Linn (Bethpage, N.Y./Plainedge) reaching on an error by the first baseman to lead off before senior second baseman Dominique Rinaldi (Sayville, N.Y./Sayville) singled to right field, advancing her to third. Rinaldi stole second in the next at-bat and both runners were driven in later in the inning on a fielding error off the bat of sophomore DP Arianna Exarchakis (Monroe, N.Y./Monroe-Woodbury). 

The next two batters, sophomore center fielder Sydney Nesci (Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) and junior first baseman Audrey Benderski (Spring Lake Park, M.N./Spring Lake Park), reached on a single to left field and fielder's choice, respectively, to move Exarchakis to third before freshman third baseman Cianna Benamati (Ballston Lake, N.Y./Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake) brought her to the plate on a single to second base. 

Following a scoreless three innings on defense, including a bottom of the third in which Dolphins' freshman starter Isabella Kwashek (West Deptford, N.J./West Deptford) got out of a bases loaded jam, Le Moyne earned another run in the top of the fourth. Senior catcher Elaina Kassap (Long Beach, N.Y./Long Beach) singled to short early in the inning and her pinch runner, sophomore Kara Bacon (Warrensburg, N.Y./Warrensburg), stole second before advancing to third on a single to left off the bat of sophomore shortstop Shannon Gavigan (Havertown, P.A./Haverford). Linn reached on a bunt single in the next-at bat to load the bases before Rinaldi hit a sac fly to center to score the lead runner and give the 'Phins a 4-0 lead. 

The Mount lessened their deficit back to three in the bottom of the inning, as third baseman Lia Festa smacked a solo homer over the left field wall.

The Dolphins got another rally going in the top of the sixth and loaded the bases as Kassap reached on a fielding error to lead off before Gavigan singled to short and Linn singled to the pitcher. Kassap came around to score on a Rinaldi RBI to right field before Gavigan's pinch runner, sophomore Gabriella Zarcone (Smithtown, N.Y./Smithtown East), crossed the plate on the next play, a sac fly to center off the bat of senior right fielder Alyssa Dybacz (Baldwinsville, N.Y./C.W. Baker). Le Moyne finished out the frame up 7-1 as Nesci doubled down the right field line to score Linn a few batters later.

Mount St. Mary's added two runs in their half of the sixth, as third baseman Emily Felice walked to lead off and advanced to second on a groundout before moving to third on a wild pitch. The runner came around to score as catcher Tristin Koerner homered to right center before junior Rose Nicastro (Webster, N.Y./Webster Thomas) was tabbed to appear in relief for the Dolphins. 

Le Moyne scored six runs and put the finishing touches on their victory in the top of the seventh as Benamati doubled to right center to lead-off the frame before Kassap walked and Gavigan singed up the middle and advanced to second as Benamati's pinch runner, junior Alayna Bush (Adams, N.Y./South Jefferson), came in to score. Sophomore Molly Wolf (Horseheads, N.Y./Horseheads), who pinch hit for Linn, then grounded out to second base and drove in Kassap, giving the Dolphins a 9-3 lead. 

The next batter, Rinaldi, walked before Dybacz doubled to left center to score Gavigan and Exarchakis singled to center to score Rinaldi. Le Moyne went up 12-3 in the next at-bat as Nesci reached on a throwing error and Dybacz crossed the plate. Both Exarchakis and Nesci moved up two bases on a series of wild pitches, eventually scoring the lead runner. The final run of the game came on a Bush grounder to third that allowed Nesci to score. 

Nicastro held the Mount scoreless in the bottom half of the inning, keeping the score 14-3 in favor of the Dolphins.

Offensively, Gavigan led the way going 3-4 at the plate for Le Moyne, while seven other 'Phins recorded a hit, as well. Rinaldi, Dybacz, Exarchakis, and Nesci each recorded multiple RBI in the victory. 

In the circle, Kwashek tossed 5.2 innings, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks while striking out two. Nicastro finished the job with 1.1 innings of scoreless ball in relief, allowing just one hit. 

Game 2:
The Dolphins got out to an early lead again in game two, scoring a pair of runs as back-to-back singles from Rinaldi and Dybacz led to a double to left center off the bat of Nesci which scored both runners. 

The Bears lessened their deficit in the bottom of the inning, as RIvas singled to center to lead-off and advanced to second on a wild pitch. She came around to score on a single up the middle from Pagano. 

Morgan State tied the game at two runs apiece in the bottom of the second, as Alvarez walked and Keener singled up the middle to occupy the base paths, before Rivas singled through the left side to drive in the lead runner.

Le Moyne grabbed another two runs in the top of the third inning as Dybacz was hit by a pitch early in the frame before Nesci singled to right field to put two runners on. A single to right off the bat of Benamati drove in Dybacz before the squad went up 4-2 as Benderski reached on a fielding error that allowed Nesci to cross the plate. 

Back-to-back homers in the top of the fifth marked the final three runs for the Dolphins as Exarchakis singled up the middle and was replaced on the base paths by freshman Maddie Martin (Carlisle, P.A./Cumberland Valley) early before Benamti sent her fourth homerun of the year over the center field wall. Benderski came up right after and sent a solo shot, her second of the year, out to left center.

Morgan State lessened their deficit to three in the bottom of the fifth as a leadoff triple from Rivas led to a run as the next batter, Hyde, drove her in with a single through the right side. Another single, this time to short off the bat of Newman, scored Hyde and made the score 7-4 later in the inning. 

A strikeout swinging to Marks finished out the game in the bottom of the seventh, as freshman starter Nevaeh Ross (Friendship, N.Y./Friendship) recorded her second complete game of the weekend. Ross' final line was four runs on 10 hits and one walk with six strikeouts through 7.0 innings against the Bears. 

At the plate, seven different 'Phins registered a hit while Benamati (three) and Nesci (two) drove in multiple runs.

What's Next:
Le Moyne (7-13) will kick off NEC action next weekend in a three-game set on the road against Central Connecticut State (3-13). The two teams will face off in a doubleheader on Saturday, Mar. 15 (1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. start times) and one final game at noon on Sunday, Mar. 16.