Ithaca, N.Y. – The Le Moyne College softball team took on the Cornell Big Red in a mid-week non-conference matchup on Wednesday afternoon. The Dolphins fell, 14-5, in five innings of game one of the scheduled doubleheader before the second leg was canceled due to weather.
Cornell got on the board first in their half of the opening frame as catcher Lauren Holt drove in left fielder Tarisa Frans with a double to right center two batters before shortstop Charlize Cai drove in the runner with a bunt single. Later in the inning, first baseman Olivia Green walked in a run to put the Big Red ahead, 3-0.
The Dolphins immediately tied the game back up in the top of the second as freshman catcher Elizabeth Gleghorn (West Henrietta, N.Y. / Rush-Henrietta) and junior second baseman Molly Wolf (Horseheads, N.Y./Horseheads) both reached base on fielder's choices while junior shortstop Shannon Gavigan (Havertown, Pa/Haverford) loaded the bases with a walk. All three runners were plated on a bases-clearing double to right center off the bat of junior third baseman Gabriella Zarcone (Smithtown, N.Y./Smithtown East).
The Big Red added four more runs on five hits in the bottom of the inning to reclaim the lead as Holt registered a sac fly to right before third baseman Sofia Hernandez doubled to drive in one and Green singled to plate a pair of runners.
Cornell extended their lead to seven runs, 10-3, in the bottom of the third as Frans drove in second baseman Susanna Pate with a double to left field and Holt connected on a two-run homer before sophomore starter Danni Simpson (Marietta, Ga. / Sprayberry) was relieved in the circle by freshman Adrianna Laraway (Colonie, N.Y. / Colonie). Later in the frame, Cai plated a runner with a single to center before Green drove in another run with a sacrifice RBI.
Le Moyne added another run to cut their deficit to eight in the top of the fourth inning as sophomore Cianna Benamati (Ballston Lake, N.Y./Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake) worked a pinch-hit sac fly to left field to drive in Gavigan.
In their half of the fourth, the Big Red registered a pair of runs on a two-out two-run double from Hernandez to take a 14-4 lead.
In their final at-bats in the top of the fifth, the Dolphins loaded the bases with one out in the inning before Gavigan reached on a fielder's choice to bring freshman Coral Enscoe (Webster, N.Y. / Bishop Kearney) home from third. The team could not cut the Big Red lead further and fell, 14-5, on the road.
Senior first baseman Audrey Benderski (Spring Lake Park, Minn./Spring Lake Park) led Le Moyne with a pair of hits while Zarcone's three RBIs were a team-high mark.
Simpson allowed 10 runs on 10 hits and four walks while striking out two batters through 2.0 innings in the start while Laraway allowed the final four runs (two earned) on five hits and one walk over 2.0 innings in relief.
What's Next:
Le Moyne will host FDU in a three-game NEC set at home this coming weekend, Friday and Saturday, Apr. 3-4.
