Erie, Pa. – The Le Moyne College softball team finished out their road NEC series against Mercyhurst and claimed their fifth NEC series victory of the season in a doubleheader on Sunday afternoon. The Dolphins took game one, 6-2, before rounding out the game with a 3-2 victory in game two.

Game 1:
The Dolphins struck first in the top of the opening inning as sophomore center fielder Maddie Martin (Carlisle, Pa. / Cumberland Valley) walked before advancing into scoring position on a passed ball. She was driven in to put Le Moyne ahead, 1-0, on a single to center off the bat of senior first baseman Audrey Benderski (Spring Lake Park, Minn./Spring Lake Park). 

Mercyhurst tied the game in the bottom of the second as second baseman Natalie Cully singled to center field before crossing the plate on an RBI infield single by center fielder Shailene Riemedio. 

Le Moyne added a pair of runs to reclaim the lead in their half of the fourth inning as three-straight singles from Benderski, junior DP Arianna Exarchakis (Monroe, N.Y./Monroe-Woodbury), and junior right fielder Sydney Nesci (Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) to lead-off the frame drove in a run before another single by freshman starting pitcher Adrianna Laraway (Colonie, N.Y. / Colonie) scored another runner later on.

The hosts lessened their deficit to one run, 3-2, in the bottom of the frame as Cully reached on an infield single before coming around to score on another infield single by right fielder Brynna King. 

The Dolphins re-extended their lead to two runs in the top of the sixth as Nesci doubled down the left field line before advancing to third and crossing the plate on a pair of passed balls. 

They added their final two insurance runs in the top of the seventh as freshman left fielder Kayla Dunkerley (Purcellville, Va. / Loudon Valley) and Martin reached on back-to-back bunts to put runners on the corners early in the inning. Dunkerley then scored on a passed ball before Martin crossed the plate on a sac fly to center off the bat of Nesci.

The Lakers were unable to mount a comeback in their half of the seventh as Laraway finished out the two-run complete game, the first of her career.

Offensively, Benderski and Nesci led the team with two hits each while Nesci's two RBI led all players.

Laraway hurled a 7.0 inning complete game, allowing two runs on eight hits and three walks while striking out five batters.

Game 2:
Following three quiet innings in which both offenses combined for just three base runners, the Dolphins again took the first lead of the game in the top of the fourth as Benderski doubled to right field before her pinch runner, junior Gabriella Zarcone (Smithtown, N.Y./Smithtown East), scored on a double to right field off the bat of Exarchakis in the next at-bat.

Mercyhurst tied the game in the bottom of the fifth inning as Cully and third baseman Alana Stuart led-off with back-to-back singles off Le Moyne's sophomore starter Isabella Kwashek (West Deptford, N.J. / West Deptford) before Stuart crossed the plate on an infield single from pitcher Gabriella DeLuca later in the frame.

Le Moyne added their final two runs of the game in the top of the sixth as Exarchakis singled to left field to lead off before Nesci reached on an error in the next at-bat. Exarchakis later came home on a single down the right field line from freshman pinch hitter Elizabeth Gleghorn (West Henrietta, N.Y. / Rush-Henrietta) before Nesci scored and put the team ahead, 3-1, as junior second baseman Avery Linn (Bethpage, N.Y./Plainedge) reached base on an error.

The Lakers lessened their deficit in their half of the inning as DP Avarie Mays led-off the inning with a solo homer to center field. 

Kwashek was able to shut down Mercyhurst's offense in the bottom of the seventh as she registered Le Moyne's second complete-game victory of the day.

Exarchakis led the Dolphins with two hits in the win while her, Gleghorn, and Linn each drove in a run.

Kwashek went 7.0 innings in the start, allowing two runs on eight hits and one walk while striking out seven batters.

What's Next:
Le Moyne will host Siena University in a non-conference doubleheader at 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Apr. 28.