Le Moyne (15-31, 11-10 NEC) vs Central Connecticut State (24-16, 18-3 NEC) 
Info: Saturday, May 2 | 1:00 P.M. / 3:00 P.M. | Syracuse, N.Y. | Softball Complex
        Sunday, May 3 | 12:00 P.M. | Syracuse, N.Y. | Softball Complex
Watch: NEC Front Row (Saturday) | NEC Front Row (Sunday)
Live Stats: http://www.lemoynedolphins.com/sidearmstats/softball/    
CCSU's Links: Schedule | Roster | News 

Syracuse, N.Y. – The Le Moyne College softball team will host Central Connecticut State University for a three-game NEC series on Saturday and Sunday, May 2-3. The Dolphins and Blue Devils will meet at 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. at the Softball Complex on Saturday before finishing the 2026 regular season with one game at noon the following day.

Season Summary: 
Le Moyne has worked to a 15-31 overall record with an 11-10 mark in NEC action this season, placing them fourth in the conference standings.  

The squad opened the season at the Blue Hose Invitational with losses at the hands of Dayton (7-3) and Presbyterian (2-1) on Feb. 6 before coming out on top against Morehead State, 19-16, the following day. They closed out the weekend with a five inning 10-1 loss against Western Michigan on Feb. 8.   

From Feb. 13-14, the Dolphins traveled to compete in the Winthrop Garnet & Gold Tournament, and came away with losses against Robert Morris twice (12-4, 9-1), Winthrop (7-4), and Kent State (6-5).  

The following weekend, the team took on Bryant and Delaware twice each at the Blue Hen Invitational and came away with four losses. Bryant took down the 'Phins, 19-11, in six innings in game one and 9-0 in five innings in game two while Delaware came away with 9-3 and 8-0 victories over Le Moyne.  

To round out non-conference play, the Dolphins went 2-3 at the Longwood Spring Break Classic from Mar. 6-8. The team fell to Youngstown twice (9-0, 4-3) and the host Lancers (7-1) before finishing out the tournament with a pair of wins over Lafayette, 3-1 and 6-2.   

From Mar. 14-30, the team went 4-6, falling to LIU in three games before coming out on top, 2-1, in three-game NEC sets against New Haven, and Saint Francis. Outside of conference action, the Dolphins fell at UAlbany and Cornell on Mar. 25.  

The Dolphins opened April with a loss at Cornell on the 1st, before earning a series win at home against FDU on Apr. 3-4 and dropping 2/3 against Wagner in Syracuse from Apr. 11-12.  

The week following, Le Moyne dropped both games of a non-conference doubleheader at the University at Buffalo on Wednesday before taking two out of three on the road against Stonehill over the weekend, Apr. 17-18

The Dolphins then fell in two home games against St. Bonaventure on Wednesday, Apr. 22 before taking 2/3 for their fifth NEC series victory of the season on the road against Mercyhurst last weekend.

Most recently, the squad split a non-conference doubleheader against Siena, winning game one, 4-2, on Tuesday, Apr. 28.

Stat Leaders: 
Through 46 team games, senior infielder Audrey Benderski (Spring Lake Park, Minn./Spring Lake Park) leads all qualified 'Phins with a 1.008 OPS and has registered team-bests with a .588 slugging rate and .420 on-base percentage while starting in every contest. Benderski also sits atop the stat sheet with a .336 batting average, seven homers, and 34 RBI, while sitting tied for the team-high with 10 doubles and 17 walks. She is also tied for second on the squad with 23 runs scored.

Freshman left fielder Kayla Dunkerley (Purcellville, Va. / Loudon Valley) sits just behind Benderski with an .815 OPS, slashing .281/.359/.456 while starting in 38 games for Le Moyne. Dunkerley has tallied 32 hits, tying Benderski for the team-best with 10 doubles. She has added two triples and a pair of home runs while driving in 11 runs and crossing the plate 21 times. 

Junior right fielder Sydney Nesci (Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) sits just behind Benderski with six home runs and nine doubles while sitting tied with the first baseman with a team-high 16 walks. Nesci leads the team in runs scored (27) and ranks second on the squad with 24 RBI while starting in all 46 games this season.

Junior DP Arianna Exarchakis (Monroe, N.Y./Monroe-Woodbury) sits second on the 'Phins with a .300 batting average and third in both RBI (21) and walks (12) this season, adding two home runs for a .300/.366/.375 slash line. 

In the circle, sophomore Isabella Kwashek (West Deptford, N.J. / West Deptford) leads all Dolphins with a 3.84 ERA through 19 starts and another 12 relief appearances in 127.2 innings pitched so far this season. She also leads the team in WHIP with a 1.61 mark while registering nine complete games, two shutouts, one save, and a 9-11 record. Kwashek's season ERA ranks fifth in the NEC while her eight conference victories tie her for third-best.

Series History: 
CCSU holds a 5-1 all-time record against Le Moyne dating back to the 2024 season, the Dolphins' first as members of the NEC.

The Dolphins dropped the first five matchups between 2024-25 before earning a 4-3 win over the Blue Devils in their series finale on the road last season.

Newcomers:
The Dolphins have brought in six freshmen this offseason, including utility players Coral Enscoe (Webster, N.Y. / Bishop Kearney) and Adrianna Laraway (Colonie, N.Y. / Colonie), catchers Camryn Shenk (Rome, N.Y. / Camden) and Elizabeth Gleghorn (West Henrietta, N.Y. / Rush-Henrietta), outfielder Kayla Dunkerley (Purcellville, Va. / Loudon Valley), and pitcher Tatum Nessman (Calgary, Alberta / National Sport School). 

NEC Outlook:
Le Moyne was selected to finish fifth in the regular season standings in the NEC preseason coaches' poll, after going 7-11 in conference play a year ago. They placed behind favorite LIU, CCSU, FDU, and Wagner while ranking ahead of Saint Francis, Stonehill, Mercyhurst, and New Haven. 

2026 NEC Weekly Award Winners & Prime Performers: 
Dolphins players have earned five NEC Weekly Awards and 16 NEC Prime Performer honors so far this season. 

Pitcher of the Week:
Isabella Kwashek (Mar. 24) 

Rookies of the Week:
Tatum Nessman (Feb. 10) 
Kayla Dunkerley (Mar. 10, Mar. 31)
Elizabeth Gleghorn (Apr. 21)

Prime Performers: 
Maddie Martin (Feb. 10) 
Shannon Gavigan (Feb. 10) 
Sydney Nesci (Feb. 17, Mar. 24) 
Cianna Benamati (Mar. 3) 
Audrey Benderski (Mar. 3, Mar. 10, Mar. 31, Apr. 7) 
Kayla Dunkerley (Mar. 10, Mar. 31) 
Adrianna Laraway (Mar. 10) 
Isabella Kwashek (Mar. 24, Apr. 21) 
Elizabeth Gleghorn (Apr. 21)
Arianna Exarchakis (Apr. 28)

Coach Roman:
Tracey Roman was named the head coach of the Le Moyne softball program on Oct. 7, 2019 after gaining over 20 years of coaching experience as an assistant coach at the University of Massachusetts, head coach for the Baldwinsville Central School District, Cicero Renegades, and Sports Zone organizations, and head coach and recruiting coordinator with the UNY Revolution club program.  

Scouting the Blue Devils:
Central Connecticut State has played to a 24-16 overall record and an 18-3 mark in NEC play, placing them in a tie with LIU for the top spot in the conference standings. Head coach Breanne Gleason has been a member of the Blue Devils' staff since 2013 and in her current role for 11 seasons.

The Blue Devils opened the year with a 4-8 record through 12 matchups prior to the start of the conference slate from Feb. 13-Mar. 10. They added another pair of wins in seven non-conference matchups in recent weeks against Hofstra, UAlbany, Fairfield, and Sacred Heart. 

CCSU has earned an 18-3 record through seven conference series this season, sweeping FDU, Saint Francis, Stonehill, and New Haven in three-game series since mid-March.

Senior infielder Grace Lawton leads all hitters with a 1.324 OPS, slashing .417/.489/.835 on the season, putting up team-highs in all three stats through 38 games played. She has added 12 doubles, 12 homers, 17 walks, and 42 RBI for the Blue Devils.

In the circle, junior Liz Hamilton leads all CCSU pitchers with a 3.78 ERA through 17 starts and 24 total appearances, going 14-5 and adding one save through 122.1 innings this season. 

The Blue Devils added eight freshmen to their squad this season after going 20-30 overall and falling to LIU in the NEC Championships in 2025. 

CCSU was voted to finish second in the NEC Preseason Coaches' Poll after going 13-8 in the conference last year.

What's Next:
Le Moyne can clinch their first NEC Softball Championship berth with one win against CCSU or one FDU loss in their series against Stonehill this weekend. 

The NEC Softball Championship will be held from May 7-9 at the home of the high seed and will consist of a four-team, double-elimination tournament comprised of six or seven games over three days. The top four teams based on regular season conference winning percentage qualify for the NEC Tournament.