Newark, Del. – The Le Moyne College softball team will travel to the Blue Hen Invitational hosted by the University of Delaware for a four-game set this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 28-Mar. 1.
The Dolphins will compete in four games at the Delaware Softball Diamond over the weekend, with two coming against the host Fightin' Blue Hens and another pair set against the Bryant University Bulldogs.
The team will open the invitational on Saturday morning at 10:00 a.m. against Bryant (4-5) before taking on Delaware (6-10) at 12:30 p.m. later that afternoon. Le Moyne will wrap up the tournament on Sunday with another matchup with the Bulldogs at 10:00 a.m. and the Blue Hens at 3:00 p.m..
Tournament Opponents:
Bryant opened the season with a 2-3 showing at the Aggie Classic hosted by #1 Texas Tech from Feb. 6-8. They nabbed both of their wins over Abilene Christian while falling to Providence, Utah State, and the host Aggies.
They then traveled to the Carolina Classic in Chapel Hill, N.C. and went 2-2 over four games the following weekend. The Bulldogs pulled off wins against Monmouth and Northern Kentucky while coming up short twice against host North Carolina.
Through nine team games, freshman outfielder Teagan Thompson leads Bryant with a .400 batting average boasting a .400/.412/.467 slash line in 15 at-bats. She is second on the team with six hits, only behind sophomore outfielder Jaelynn Lee (nine), and has added two doubles, four walks, a pair of RBI, and three runs scored.
Senior pitcher Brooke Tracey leads the rotation with a 1.94 ERA and a 2-0 record with a pair of complete games in 18.0 innings this season.
Delaware kicked off their 2026 campaign at the FAU Paradise Tournament in Boca Raton, Fla. on Opening Weekend earlier this month. The Blue Hens went 1-4 with their lone win coming against the 'Phins NEC foe Stonehill, 11-3, while they fell to Army twice and Indiana and FAU once each through the weekend.
The Blue Hens then went 3-4 in a series of non-tournament matchups with South Florida, Georgetown, and St. Joe's from Feb. 10-15, dropping a pair against the Bulls, going 1-1 against the Hoyas, and coming out of three games against the Hawks with a pair of wins.
Most recently, Delaware traveled to Charlottesville, Va. for four games at the Mizuno Classic last weekend. The team went 2-2, coming out on top against Maryland and Ohio State before dropping their second matchup with the Buckeyes and one game against #25 Virginia.
In 16 games played, senior catcher Sydney Shaffer leads the Blue Hens' offense with a team-high .364 batting average to go along with a 1.273 OPS. In 44 at-bats, Shaffer has 16 hits including three doubles and five homers with 12 RBI and 11 runs scored this season.
In the circle, sophomore pitcher Josie Crossman has recorded a team-best 3.74 ERA in 11 total appearances and six starts. Crossman has tossed three complete games with one shutout and has a 38-17 (2.23) K/BB rate.
Dolphins' Season:
Le Moyne holds a 1-7 record after a pair of early season tournaments in Clinton and Winthrop, S.C.
The squad opened the season at the Blue Hose Invitational with losses at the hands of Dayton (7-3) and Presbyterian (2-1) on Feb. 6 before coming out on top against Morehead State, 19-16, the following day. They closed out the weekend with a five inning 10-1 loss against Western Michigan on Feb. 8.
The following weekend, the Dolphins traveled to compete in the Winthrop Garnet & Gold Tournament, and came away with losses against Robert Morris twice (12-4, 9-1), Winthrop (7-4), and Kent State (6-5).
Through eight team games, sophomore middle infielder Maddie Martin (Carlisle, Pa. / Cumberland Valley) leads all qualified hitters with a .429 batting average, tallying nine hits in 21 at-bats to start the year. Martin has added one RBI, six runs scored, and a team-high five steals, as well.
Junior outfielder Sydney Nesci (Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) sits just behind Martin with a .381 average and leads the team with a .536 on-base percentage and 1.012 OPS. Nesci has gone 8-21 at the plate with a pair of doubles, seven walks, two RBI, and six runs scored.
Junior DP Arianna Exarchakis (Monroe, N.Y./Monroe-Woodbury) leads the 'Phins with seven RBI and nine walks this season and is one of four players to have registered a homerun thus far, along with senior infielder Audrey Benderski (Spring Lake Park, Minn./Spring Lake Park), sophomore catcher Ava Todd (Savannah, N.Y. / Tyburn Academy), and freshman catcher Elizabeth Gleghorn (West Henrietta, N.Y. / Rush-Henrietta).
In the circle, freshman Tatum Nessman (Calgary, Alberta / National Sport School) leads the team with a 5.57 ERA and recorded the team's lone win of the season. She has added one complete game and registered 10 strikeouts in 16.1 innings pitched over five appearances.
What's Next:
Le Moyne will finish out their early season non-conference slate at the Longwood Tournament in Farmville, Va. and play in five games from Friday-Sunday, Mar. 6-8.
