Syracuse, N.Y. – The Le Moyne College softball team finished out their three-game NEC series against Saint Francis on Monday. The Dolphins fell, 11-9, in 10 innings and came up just short of the series sweep over the Red Flash.
Le Moyne got on the board early, as senior first baseman Audrey Benderski (Spring Lake Park, Minn./Spring Lake Park) led-off the bottom of the second inning with a homer to left field.
In the following inning, junior second baseman Avery Linn (Bethpage, N.Y./Plainedge) singled to center in the opening at-bat before freshman left fielder Kayla Dunkerley (Purcellville, Va. / Loudon Valley) doubled to left center and moved Linn to third base. The next batter, sophomore center fielder Maddie Martin (Carlisle, Pa. / Cumberland Valley), drove in the lead runner with a sac bunt down the third base line to put the Dolphins ahead 2-0.
The Red Flash came back in the top of the fourth, however, as they scored five runs on six hits off of Le Moyne's sophomore starter Isabella Kwashek (West Deptford, N.J. / West Deptford). Two straight base hits early led to a sac fly to center off the bat of second baseman Haley Brag before Abby Evans drove in another run to tie the game with a pinch-hit single down the right field line.
A throwing error by the Dolphins allowed another pair of runs to score before first baseman Annabelle Farmer singled to left field to plate the team's fifth run of the frame.
The Dolphins cut their deficit to two runs, 5-3, in their half of the inning as Benderski led-off with another hit, this time a single up the middle, before her pinch runner, junior Shannon Gavigan (Havertown, Pa/Haverford), scored on an RBI single from junior DP Arianna Exarchakis (Monroe, N.Y./Monroe-Woodbury).
They came back and tied the game at five runs apiece in the bottom of the fifth inning as Exarchakis connected on another RBI single to score junior right fielder Sydney Nesci (Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) before freshman shortstop Coral Enscoe (Webster, N.Y. / Bishop Kearney) plated Benderski on a fielder's choice to third base.
Saint Francis reclaimed the lead again in the sixth as left fielder Sofia Zielinski recorded an RBI single to center field two at-bats before third baseman Olivia Hood singled up the middle to score two Red Flash runners.
Nesci tied the game back up at 8-8 in the bottom of the sixth with a three-run homer down the left field line to score Dunkerley and Martin. The 'Phins took the lead later in the inning as freshman catcher Camryn Shenk (Rome, N.Y. / Camden) singled to right field to score Benderski from second.
Down to their last chances, the Red Flash worked one hit-by-pitch and three walks to tie the game in the top of the seventh inning. Le Moyne's offense was unable to drive in a run in the bottom half of the frame, sending the game to extra innings.
Both teams combined for just one hit over the next two innings until Saint Francis came to the plate in the top of the 10th. Center fielder Morgan Pasternak was hit by a pitch to reach base two batters before catcher Olivia Holtzman sent a two-out, two-run homer to left center off freshman Tatum Nessman (Calgary, Alberta / National Sport School) to put the visitors ahead, 11-9.
The Dolphins went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning as they fell short of sweeping the conference series.
Benderski led Le Moyne with three hits while Nesci registered a team-high three RBI. Both 'Phins smashed homeruns in the game, as well.
Kwashek finished her outing allowing eight runs (four earned) on 12 hits and one walk while striking out two batters. Sophomore Danni Simpson (Marietta, Ga. / Sprayberry) allowed one run on one walk in 0.1 innings of work. Nessman closed out the game allowing two runs on four hits and a pair of walks while striking out one in 4.0 innings in the circle.
What's Next:
Le Moyne will travel to Cornell for a non-conference doubleheader with the Big Red on Wednesday, Apr. 1 at 2/4 p.m.
