Le Moyne College announces Softball Gets Conference Win At Southern New Hampshire
From April 4, 2023 post.
The Le Moyne College softball team claimed their first NE10 victory on Tuesday in the first half of their doubleheader at Southern New Hampshire University.
The Dolphins won game one against the Penmen by a score of 9-4, then SNHU bounced back in game two with a 2-0 victory.
Redshirt-junior right-hander Laura Bennett (Corning, N.Y./Corning-Painted Post) earned her eighth victory and threw her 12th complete game of the season in game one, striking out nine SNHU batters and allowing zero earned runs in 7.0 innings of work.
Le Moyne fell behind 4-0 in game one, but senior first baseman Mckenzie Bergdoll (Attleboro, Mass./Attleboro) launched a grand slam home run, her third long ball of the year, in the top of the fifth to tie the game. Bergdoll now leads the 'Phins in 2023 with 21 RBIs and a .370 batting average.
Redshirt-sophomore third baseman Frankie Larobardiere (North Syracuse, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse/Onondaga C.C.) delivered two RBIs during the win, while senior center fielder Isabelle Boudreau (Memramcook, New Brunswick/Mathieu-Martin/Pace) tallied a season-high four hits in four plate appearances. Sophomore second baseman Dominique Rinaldi (Sayville, N.Y./Sayville) and sophomore left fielder Elaina Kassap (Long Beach, N.Y./Long Beach) both recorded three hits during game one, which is a new career-high for Kassap, while Rinaldi, Boudreau and sophomore right fielder Alyssa Dybacz (Baldwinsville, N.Y./Charles W. Baker) each crossed the plate twice.
SNHU right-handed starting pitcher Hannah DeRock limited the Dolphins to two hits and two walks in 5.2 innings during game two, then game one starter Leine McKechnie held Le Moyne scoreless during the final 1.1 innings to earn the save and secure the 2-0 win for the Penmen.
Le Moyne redshirt-sophomore right-hander Michaela Stockwell (Fort Plain, N.Y./Fort Plain) started game two in the circle for Le Moyne and allowed just one run and five hits in 5.0 innings of work, then Bennett pitched the sixth frame for the 'Phins. Boudreau and Dybacz both recorded a hit during the setback, while Bergdoll and Rinaldi both drew a walk.
"It was great to see our bats wake up in the first game," said Le Moyne head coach Tracey Roman following the doubleheader. "Berg's home run was absolutely clutch. No one in the NE10 wants to throw to her right now and I can't blame them. She's been one of the toughest outs in our lineup all season. Michaela had her best outing of the season in game two which was great to see. We put the ball in play hard the entire second game but couldn't find holes in their defense. I'm proud of the way our team continues to get up and fight despite getting knocked down. There are no easy wins in the NE10. This year more than ever, the conference championship is up for grabs," Roman continued.
Game One:
Bennett recorded a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the first with two strikeouts, then SNHU sophomore catcher Jordyn Resetar ripped a one-out double to left-center field in the bottom of the second. Junior second baseman Alyssa DiMauro left a 3-1 off speed pitch low to draw a walk during the next at bat, putting runners on first and second. Bennett got ahead 1-2 on the next hitter, then threw a changeup on the outside corner for a called strike three. During the next at bat, Bennett threw another changeup on the outside corner, but it was called a ball. On the 3-2 pitch, Bennett threw a fastball past the swinging batter for another strikeout to end the inning.
With one out and nobody on in the top of the third, Boudreau ripped a 2-1 rise ball to left field for Le Moyne's first hit of the game, then she gave the Dolphins their first runner in scoring position after advancing to second base on a wild pitch. Dybacz hit a line drive towards left center that was caught for out number two, then Bergdoll hit a hard ground ball to short that was fielded cleanly and thrown to first in time to end the inning and strand Boudreau on base.
With two outs in the top of the fourth, Kassap hammered an elevated pitch into the right-center field gap for a double, but McKechnie got a ground ball to the left side of the infield during the next at bat to end the inning.
With two outs and a runner on first for SNHU in the bottom of the fourth, senior DP/catcher Abi Gray reached on a fielding error and moved the lead runner into scoring position. Southern New Hampshire scored four runs during their two-out rally with the help of an RBI double from Abby Lineman, and RBI singles from Shannon Gifford and Bryn Garczynski.
Rinaldi led off the top of the 5th for the Dolphins and laid down a bunt in front of the catcher, then beat the throw to first for a single.
First-year middle infielder/outfielder Emilee Gallagher (Windsor, N.Y./Newburgh Free Academy) moved Rinaldi into scoring position with a ground ball to the left side, then Boudreau reached on a bunt single, and Dybacz walked to load the bases.
Bergdoll stepped to the plate next and got ahead in the count 2-0 before swinging hard at a belt-high fastball. Bergdoll connected squarely and launched a line drive that left the yard in a hurry. The ball landed in the left field bleachers and Bergdoll jogged around the bases for her first collegiate grand slam, tying the game at 4-4.
With the bases cleared following a game-altering swing, Larobardiere drew a walk, which led to a pitching change. Freshman Avery Linn (Bethpage, N.Y./Plainedge) came in to pinch run for Larobardiere, and immediately advanced to second on a wild pitch with rookie DP Audrey Benderski (Spring Lake Park, Minn./Spring Lake Park) at the plate.
On a 2-0 pitch, Benderski hammered a high fly ball that hit off the left-center field wall. Linn scored standing up to give the 'Phins a 5-4 lead, and Benderski slid into third for a triple.
Following a leadoff single in the bottom of the fifth for the Penmen, Bennett got a line drive to third for out number one, then struck out the next two hitters swinging to end the inning and maintain Le Moyne's new lead.
With one out in the top of the sixth, Dybacz stepped to the plate for Le Moyne with runners on second and third. Dybacz swung at a 1-2 pitch high in the zone and smashed the ball through the left side of the infield to drive in Rinaldi and move Boudreau to third. Dybacz stole second during the next at bat to once again give Le Moyne runners on second and third.
With two outs in the inning, Larobardiere fell behind in the count 0-2. She held off on two straight balls, then deposited a 2-2 drop ball into the left-center field gap to drive in both runners and extend Le Moyne's lead to 8-4.
Kassap led off the top of the seventh for Le Moyne and hit a rocket over the left fielder's head for a double. Senior outfielder Dominique Russo (Hopewell Junction, N.Y./John Jay) came in to pinch run, and graduate catcher Cassidy Barrett (Apalachin, N.Y./Vestal) moved her over to third with a ground ball.
During the next at bat, Rinaldi swung at a belt-high pitch middle-in and hit a rope through the left side of the infield to drive in Russo and make it 9-4 in favor of the Dolphins.
SNHU threatened to make a dramatic comeback in the bottom of the seventh, loading the bases with nobody out against Bennett. Bennett threw a 1-0 rise ball to the next hitter and got an infield pop up for the first out of the inning.
After falling behind 2-0 to the next batter, Bennett threw a changeup on the outside corner for strike one, got the hitter to foul off an inside pitch for strike two, then struck the batter out swinging on pitch that painted the outside corner.
Bennett fell behind 3-1 during the next at bat, then the batter swung through a pitch on the inside corner to bring the count full.
The SNHU hitter spoiled three good 3-2 pitches from Bennett, then the two-time NE10 All-Conference selection threw an elevated pitch that the batter swung through for her final strikeout to end the game, eliciting a fist pump from the catcher Barrett.
Game Two:
After delivering a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the first, Stockwell worked around a leadoff single in the second, getting three straight ground balls to end the inning.
Le Moyne put runners on first and second with two outs in the top of the third via a walk from Rinaldi and a base hit from Boudreau, but SNHU's DeRock got a ground ball to end the inning and keep the game scoreless.
Stockwell put up another zero in the third, but SNHU got on the board in the bottom of the fourth following an RBI infield single from Lineman.
Stockwell did not allow a runner in scoring position in the bottom of the fifth, delivering another scoreless inning to complete her day's work.
The 'Phins nearly tied the game in the top of the sixth inning.
Gallagher led off the sixth with a walk, then Boudreau moved the pinch runner Alayna Bush (Adams, N.Y./South Jefferson) into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt.
With one out in the inning, Dybacz ripped a ground ball back up the middle for a base hit. Bush rounded third and raced towards home. The ball was hit especially hard and got to the center fielder Garczynski quickly. The left-handed Garczynski fielded the ball cleanly and came up firing, delivered the ball in the air slightly to the right of the catcher Gray. Bush attempted a hook slide to the right of the plate, but Gray dove to her right and successfully applied the tag in time on Bush to prevent the run from scoring, maintain SNHU's 1-0 lead, and give the Penmen their second out of the inning.
Southern New Hampshire doubled their lead in the bottom of the sixth. Le Moyne put runners on first and second with two outs in the top of the seventh, but McKechnie got a strikeout to end the game.
The Le Moyne College softball team (12-15, 1-5 NE10) will play their home opener doubleheader at the Softball Complex on Friday against University of New Haven at 12:30 and 2:30 p.m.
Original source can be found here.