Hamilton, N.Y. – The Le Moyne College softball team traveled to Colgate University to face off against the Raiders in a mid-week non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon. The Dolphins dropped both legs of their two-game set, falling 10-2 in five innings in game one and 8-4 in game two.
Game 1:
Following a quick 1-2-3 top of the first, Colgate scratched the scoreboard in the bottom of the frame as a walk and single allowed by freshman starter Isabella Kwashek (West Deptford, N.J./West Deptford) were followed by an infield grounder off the bat of catcher Lily Haluska, scoring the lead runner, left fielder Jillian Herbst.
The Dolphins responded immediately in the top of the second inning as a double to left center off the bat of sophomore left fielder Gabriella Zarcone (Smithtown, N.Y./Smithtown East) drove in junior first baseman Audrey Benderski (Spring Lake Park, Minn./Spring Lake Park), who singled one at-bat earlier, to tie the game at one.
The Raiders tallied five hits to take a 5-1 lead in the bottom of the third inning as three straight singles, a hit batter, and double off the bat of second baseman Alexis Romero allowed four runs to score in the frame before junior Rose Nicastro (Webster, N.Y./Webster Thomas) was called on to record the final out for Le Moyne.
Three consecutive singles off the bats of freshman third baseman Cianna Benamati (Ballston Lake, N.Y./Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake), Benderski, and Zarcone loaded the bases for the Dolphins in the top of the fourth before junior Alexandra Chesney (Malverne, N.Y./Sacred Heart Academy) appeared in a pinch hit situation and tallied an RBI after getting hit by a pitch to plate Benamati.
Up 5-2, Colgate added one more run in the bottom of the fourth on a single by DP Quinn Livesay before ending the game early due to the run rule in their half of the fifth inning. Romero reached base and advanced to second on an early inning error before moving to third on a wild pitch and scoring as first baseman Amanda DeSantis singled through the left side to put the team by five. Following an infield single by center fielder Claire Whalen, Herbst ended game one with a three-run homer.
Benderski and Zarcone led the 'Phins offense with a pair of hits each with the former adding a run and the latter tallying an RBI in the loss.
Game 2:
Colgate got off to a quick lead in game two as a leadoff single from Whalen off of freshman Nevaeh Ross (Friendship, N.Y./Friendship) led to a run two batters later as Haluska reached on a fielding error allowing the lead runner to score. The squad added an additional two runs in the frame as catcher Hailey Gald reached on another error to drive in Herbst and Haluska.
Le Moyne tied the game right back up in their half of the second inning as sophomore DP Arianna Exarchakis (Monroe, N.Y./Monroe-Woodbury) singled to left center to lead off the inning before Benamati walked to put runners on first and second. The next batter, Benderski, singled up the middle to score Exarchakis' pinch runner, junior Alayna Bush (Adams, N.Y./South Jefferson). Four batters later, sophomore shortstop Shannon Gavigan (Havertown, Pa./Haverford) singled through the left side to drive in Benamati before senior right fielder Alyssa Dybacz (Baldwinsville, N.Y./C.W. Baker) singled to the pitcher to plate Benderski and tie the game at three runs apiece.
Neither squad was able to get anything going until the bottom of the fourth when a hit batter to lead off the inning came around to score on a sac fly to left off the bat of Herbst.
Down one run in the top of the sixth, the 'Phins came back to tie the game as senior second baseman Dominique Rinaldi (Sayville, N.Y./Sayville) singled up the middle before Gavigan pushed her over to second with a sac bunt and Dybacz drove her around the rest of the way with a triple to right field.
The Raiders tacked on their final four runs of the game in the bottom of the sixth as a leadoff double by right fielder Mackenzie Lewis was followed up with a single from Whalen before Herbst singled through the right side to score both runners. A single from Livesay put another set of runners on first and second for shortstop Analisa Raffaelli who singled to right field and allowed both to come around and cross the plate.
Le Moyne was unable to get any production in the top of the seventh and fell, 8-4, in the final leg of the doubleheader.
Offensively, Dybacz, Benderski, and Rinaldi each recorded two hits while Dybacz drove in a team-leading two RBI. In the circle, Ross tossed all six innings, striking out three in the process in game two.
What's Next:
Le Moyne will host NEC-newcomer Mercyhurst University in a three-game conference set on Saturday and Sunday, Apr. 26-27. Saturday's doubleheader will have start times of 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. while the series will wrap up the following day at noon.
