Newark, Del. – The Le Moyne College softball team rounded out the Blue Hen Invitational with a second pair of games against Bryant and host Delaware on Sunday. The Dolphins fell to the Bulldogs, 9-0 in five innings, in game one before dropping their finale against the Blue Hens, 8-0 in six innings, later in the day.
Game 1:
Bryant struck for five runs in the top of the second inning as first baseman Gabriella Gesualdo singled up the middle to lead-off right before left fielder Amira Rainer doubled to right center to plate the runner. Shortstop Ella Kolenko followed that with an RBI single down the right field line to score Rainer one at-bat later.
Later in the inning, DP Teagan Thompson plated Kolenko on an infield groundout before third baseman Bryce Clendenin doubled to right center to drive in another pair of Bulldog runners. After a Le Moyne pitching change from freshman starter Adrianna Laraway (Colonie, N.Y. / Colonie) to sophomore Danni Simpson (Marietta, Ga. / Sprayberry) with two outs in the frame, Clendenin stole home to give Bryant a 6-0 lead.
Sophomore center fielder Maddie Martin (Carlisle, Pa. / Cumberland Valley) registered the Dolphins' lone hit of the game on an infield single in the third inning.
One inning later in the top of the fourth, Thompson reached on a fielding error which allowed center fielder Arriana Williams to score. Four batters later, Rainer singled down the right field line to drive in pinch runners Emilia Mancusi and Alana Garcia and extend the Bulldogs' lead to nine runs.
Facing the run-rule, Le Moyne was only able to get one runner on base in the final two innings of play as junior right fielder Sydney Nesci (Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) worked a walk in the bottom of the fourth. They were unable to work a comeback and fell, 9-0, in five innings in their first outing of the day.
Laraway allowed six runs on five hits and three walks in 1.2 innings pitched for Le Moyne while Simpson finished out the final 3.1 innings allowing three runs (one earned) on two hits and three walks while striking out a pair.
Game 2:
Following a quiet first two innings for both teams, Delaware cracked the scoreboard with a five-run bottom of the third. After a walk and hit-by-pitch early in the frame, shortstop Sorella Gallucci connected on a three-run homer to left field off Le Moyne's starter freshman Tatum Nessman (Calgary, Alberta / National Sport School).
The next batter, right fielder Bridget Chapman, followed with her own round-tripper, a solo shot to extend the team's lead to four runs. After tallying three consecutive singles to load the bases, the Blue Hens brought in a run on a walk by DP Sydney Shaffer. Sophomore Isabella Kwashek (West Deptford, N.J. / West Deptford) was tabbed to appear in relief and finish out the inning for the 'Phins as she induced a fielder's choice off the bat of third baseman Maddie Diamond for the final out.
Gallucci added her second homer of the game in the bottom of the fourth inning as she sent a shot to left field to score herself and left fielder Gracie Jacobs who got on base due to a fielding error.
After two offensive opportunities for Le Moyne came up short in the fifth and sixth innings, Delaware invoked the run-rule in the bottom of the sixth as Gallucci reached on a fielding error that allowed pinch runner Grace Hausamann to score from third base for the team's eighth run.
Senior first baseman Audrey Benderski (Spring Lake Park, Minn./Spring Lake Park) and junior DP Arianna Exarchakis (Monroe, N.Y./Monroe-Woodbury) added a pair of singles for the Dolphins in the second and fourth innings that marked the team's two hits of the game.
Nessman tossed 2.2 innings in the start for the Dolphins, allowing five runs on seven hits and four walks while striking out one. Kwashek closed out the game with 2.2 innings in relief, giving up three runs (two earned) on four hits while striking out one Blue Hen.
What's Next:
Le Moyne (1-11) will compete in their final non-conference tournament of the early season in Farmville, Va. hosted by Longwood University next weekend, Friday-Sunday, Mar. 6-8.
