Information Provided By Le Moyne Sports Information


Syracuse, N.Y. – Sophomore pitcher Jenna Vanacore (Hicksville, N.Y./Holy Trinity) tossed her second consecutive shutout to lead the #12-ranked Le Moyne College softball team to a 4-0 victory over #20 Georgian Court on Sunday afternoon in the third game of the best-of-3 series NCAA Division II East Super Regional at the Thomas J. Niland Athletic Complex. The game was completed on Sunday after being suspended on Saturday due to weather with Le Moyne leading 2-0 and bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the fifth inning. With the victory, the Dolphins clinch the series, 2-1, to advance to the NCAA Division II Softball Championships in Salem, Va. The eight-team, double-elimination championship begins on Thursday, with the Dolphins facing #2 nationally-ranked Lock Haven.

Le Moyne, which will be making its fifth appearance at the Division II Championships in the last eight years, opened the game on Saturday with a run on one hit in the first inning. Freshman right fielder Kelcie Cashel (Lacona, N.Y./Sandy Creek) was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame for the second time in the series. After a sac bunt moved Cashel to second, junior second baseman Kelly Schweikert (Rochester, N.Y./Spencerport) singled to center field to plate Cashel.

The Dolphins tacked on their second run in the fourth inning on two hits. Freshman shortstop Barb Shea (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa) led off the inning with a single through the left side. After advancing to second on a wild pitch, Shea scored from second on a double down the left field line by junior left fielder Bailey Phillips (Rochester, N.Y./Greece-Arcadia).

In the fifth inning, the Dolphins loaded the bases prior to the game being suspended due to heavy rain and lightning in the area. Junior center fielder Danielle VanGorder (Vestal, N.Y./Vestal) and classmate Schweikert each singled to open the frame. After a strikeout, Shea was hit on the right foot by a pitch to load the bases. With a 1-2 count on Phillips the game was delayed and ultimately suspended.

When play resumed on Sunday, Phillips fouled off the first two pitches before drawing a walk to force in VanGorder. Senior third baseman Caitlin O’Neill (Pittsford, N.Y./Our Lady of Mercy) followed with a groundout to the third baseman to push Schweikert with the contest’s final run.

Vanacore, who earned her 23rd win of the season - the second-most in a season by a Le Moyne pitcher, retired all six batters she faced over the final two innings - three by strikeout and three by fly out - to seal the victory. In posting her 18th complete game and 11th shutout of the season, Vanacore struck out six batters without allowing a walk, while yielding just five hits. Over 18 and two-thirds scoreless innings pitched in the series, Vanacore struck out 14 batters, while giving up just nine hits, a walk and a hit batsman. Diana Sansevera, who pitched all 20 innings in the series for Georgian Court, struck out five batters in taking the loss.

The top of the line-up for the Dolphins - Cashel, VanGorder and Schweikert - each had two hits and scored a run, while Phillips drove in a pair of runs. For the series, Schweikert recorded five hits, two runs batted in and a run scored, while Phillips, Cashel and VanGorder each had three hits.

Le Moyne (45-11), which has won 22 of its last 24 games and registered the third-most wins (45) in a season in the program’s history, will be facing Lock Haven for the first time.