Rock Hill, S.C. – The Le Moyne College softball team kicked off the Winthrop Garnet & Gold Tournament with matchups against Robert Morris and host Winthrop on Friday afternoon. The Dolphins dropped game one, 12-4 in five innings, against the Colonials before coming up short, 7-4, against the Eagles in game two.
Game 1:
The Dolphins got off to a hot start in their tournament-opener, bringing in all four of their runs in the top of the first inning.
Senior left fielder Avery Linn (Bethpage, N.Y./Plainedge) led off the game with a double to left-center before sophomore center fielder Maddie Martin (Carlisle, Pa. / Cumberland Valley) moved her to third on a bunt single. Junior right fielder Sydney Nesci (Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) followed with a walk to load the bases as Linn came around to score on a wild pitch in the following at-bat.
Junior DP Arianna Exarchakis (Monroe, N.Y./Monroe-Woodbury) plated Martin on an infield ground-out two batters before senior first baseman Audrey Benderski (Spring Lake Park, Minn./Spring Lake Park) doubled to right center and drove in Nesci. Junior second baseman Shannon Gavigan (Havertown, Pa/Haverford) brought the final run across home plate on a single to right field.
The Colonials responded immediately, tying the game in their half of the first. Shortstop Sequoia Dunlap launched a solo homer to center field early in the frame before DP Courtney Poulich walked and first baseman Mary Brant added a two-run homerun of her own off Le Moyne sophomore starter Isabella Kwashek (West Deptford, N.J. / West Deptford).
Following a pitching change that brought in freshman Tatum Nessman (Calgary, Alberta / National Sport School), Robert Morris added their third and final round-tripper of the inning, a solo shot off the bat of catcher Aglaia Rudd which tied the game at 4-4.
Following a 1-2-3 top of the second for the Dolphins, the Colonials added a pair of runs and took the lead in their half of the inning. Dunlap connected on her second homerun of the game, a two-out solo shot, before Brant lined a single to left field to drive in Poulich who reached earlier on a fielding error.
Leading 6-4 in the bottom of the third, RMU brought in three more runs as Rudd led-off the frame with a homerun to left field. Later in the inning, left fielder Kaylyn Hopf tripled to right-center and plated a pair of runners to give the team a five-run advantage.
The Colonials closed out the game in the bottom of the fifth as Poulich sent a three-run homer to center field off of sophomore reliever Danni Simpson (Marietta, G.A./Sprayberry) to put the team ahead 12-4 and invoking the run-rule.
Kwashek allowed three runs on two hits and one walk in 0.1 innings in the start while Nessman recorded the loss, allowing six runs (four earned) on six hits and two walks while striking out three in 2.0 innings pitched. Simpson closed out the final 2.1 innings of play, allowing three runs on one hit and three walks.
Game 2:
The Eagles cracked the scoreboard first in the bottom of the opening frame as right fielder Rebecca Amos singled before DP Darrah Nickens doubled to left center to score the lead runner and came around to score herself on a throwing error on the same play.
Le Moyne added their first run of the game in the top of the second inning as Gavigan reached on a fielding error and advanced to third on a single through the left side from sophomore third baseman Cianna Benamati (Ballston Lake, N.Y./Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake). The following batter, freshman catcher Camryn Shenk (Rome, N.Y. / Camden), flied out to left center allowing Gavigan to cross home plate.
The Dolphins took their first lead of the game, 4-2, in their half of the third as Martin and Nesci singled before Exarchakis drove everyone in on a three-run homer to left field, her first of the season.
Freshman starter Adrianna Laraway (Colonie, N.Y. / Colonie) allowed a lead-off homerun to third baseman Peyton Bryden in the bottom of the third inning as the Eagles lessened their deficit to one run. The hosts eventually tied the game at four runs apiece in their half of the fourth inning as Amos drove in first baseman Tabitha Perry who had singled in the first at-bat of the frame.
Neither team could muster a run over the next 2.5 innings, working just four hits combined over the period, and went into the bottom of the seventh tied 4-4. Following a lead-off strikeout, Nickens singled up the middle two batters before left fielder Aspen King singled to second base. Pitcher Ali Bunch closed out the game and claimed the victory for the Eagles on a walk-off three-run homerun to center field.
Laraway pitched all 6.2 innings for Le Moyne, allowing seven earned runs on 12 hits and one walk while striking out four.
What's Next:
Le Moyne (1-5) will return to action in the Garnet & Gold Tournament tomorrow morning as they face-off against Kent State at 10:00 a.m. before meeting Robert Morris for a second time in as many days at 12:30 p.m.
