Easton, Mass. – The Le Moyne College softball team finished out their road NEC series against Stonehill with a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon. The Skyhawks earned a 4-2 win in game one before Le Moyne took the series victory with a 5-0 shutout in game two.

Game 1:
Le Moyne got on the board first in the opening game of the doubleheader, scoring a pair to take a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Sophomore center fielder Maddie Martin (Carlisle, Pa. / Cumberland Valley) singled through the right side to reach base before being driven in on a two-RBI homer to left center off the bat of junior right fielder Sydney Nesci (Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse).

The Skyhawks cut their deficit to one run in the bottom of the second as DP Haleigh Reed worked a lead-off walk before her pinch runner, Luka Bornhorst, was plated on an infield grounder by second baseman Juliana Alicea later in the frame. They then tied the game in the following inning as first baseman Harper Sullivan singled off Le Moyne's freshman starter Adrianna Laraway (Colonie, N.Y. / Colonie) to drive in right fielder Taylor Schoonmaker.

The hosts pulled ahead, 4-2, in the bottom of the fourth inning on a fielding error and wild pitch.

Le Moyne's offense reached base four times in the final three innings to try and mount the comeback but fell short as Stonehill closed out the win in game one.

Nesci led all players with a pair of RBI while junior second baseman Avery Linn (Bethpage, N.Y./Plainedge) went a perfect 3-3 at the plate for the 'Phins.

Laraway allowed four runs (two earned) on five hits and two walks over 3.2 innings in the start while sophomore Danni Simpson (Marietta, Ga. / Sprayberry) finished out the final 2.1 innings in the circle for Le Moyne, allowing no runs on zero hits and one walk. 

Game 2:
Following a quiet first two innings, Le Moyne's offense took the lead in the top of the third as junior shortstop Shannon Gavigan (Havertown, Pa/Haverford) led-off with a single through the right side before advancing to second on an infield single from Linn. Two batters later, freshman Elizabeth Gleghorn (West Henrietta, N.Y. / Rush-Henrietta) came in to pinch hit and drove in both runners with a double to right field.

Possessing a 2-0 lead in the top of the sixth, the Dolphins added on as senior first baseman Audrey Benderski (Spring Lake Park, Minn./Spring Lake Park) singled to lead off before her pinch runner, junior Gabriella Zarcone (Smithtown, N.Y./Smithtown East), got into scoring position with a steal of second base. The next batter, junior DP Arianna Exarchakis (Monroe, N.Y./Monroe-Woodbury), scored the runner with a double to left field.

In the following at bat, sophomore third baseman Cianna Benamati (Ballston Lake, N.Y./Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake) pushed the visiting squad ahead, 5-0, with a two-run homer to right center field.

Down to their final at-bats in the bottom of the seventh, Stonehill got a pair of runners on base but were unable to score and fell, 5-0, in game two. The shutout clinched the series victory for Le Moyne after they won, 4-2, to open the three-game set on Friday.

Benamati and Gleghorn led the Dolphins' offense with two RBI apiece while Benamati and Gavigan each went 3-3 at the plate in the win.

In the circle, sophomore starter Isabella Kwashek (West Deptford, N.J. / West Deptford) threw a complete game shutout, allowing no runs on five hits and no walks through all 7.0 innings played. She is now 8-8 on the year with seven complete games and a pair of shutout victories.

What's Next:
Le Moyne will host St. Bonaventure in a non-conference doubleheader next Wednesday, Apr. 22.