Syracuse, N.Y. - A fifth-inning grand slam for
Brenna Martini proved the difference in a key Northeast-10 Conference divisional victory for the Adelphi University softball team on Sunday afternoon, as the Panthers took the rubber game of a three-game set with Le Moyne, 8-4.
Martini and
Nicole Camera stroked back-to-back homers as a part of a five-run inning for the Panthers (25-18-1, 16-7-1 NE10), which turned a 1-1 tie into a 6-1 game. Adelphi's lead grew to 8-2 by the bottom of the seventh inning, but ultimately,
Jessica Vadala got one king-sized out with the bases loaded and the tying run at the plate in relief of
Nicole Mengel for her league-leading fifth save of the season in the eventual win.
Two third-inning doubles for
Nicoletta Cuccio and Le Moyne's Ally Nicolosi saw each team plate a run, but neither side could string together an extended rally until Adelphi got to the plate in the top of the fifth against Le Moyne ace Alexis Eastman.
Lauren O'Neill's one-out bunt single got Adelphi's inning started, before King and Cuccio followed her one base with a walk and a single to center field, respectively. Martini un-tied the game on one pitch, as she belted the first one she saw from Eastman in the at-bat over the center field fence for her league-leading 11th homer of the season.
Camera followed with a home run of her own to right center off Le Moyne reliever Lauren Nichols, and Nichols later uncorked a wild pitch in the top of the sixth with two in scoring position to lead to Adelphi's seventh run.
For the first five innings, Mengel largely cruised after allowing Le Moyne's lone run, but she ran into trouble in the late innings via the walk. A leadoff walk came around to score for the Dolphins courtesy of a triple from Lauren Zazzaro, and she scored the Dolphins' second run of the inning on a wild pitch to make it a 7-3 ballgame.
The freshman later issued three consecutive walks after a two-out single in the seventh as she looked to close out the complete game, but Vadala put out the fire as she entered and induced a flyout off the bat of Madison DeRita to end the game.
The Panthers are back in action on Tuesday, April 24 when they welcome divisional foe New Haven to Janet L. Ficke Field for a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m.
About Adelphi Athletics
Adelphi University joined the Northeast-10 Conference in the fall of 2009, and in the past eight seasons, has collected 26 regular season conference titles, 28 tournament championships, 37 individual crowns and captured the Northeast-10 Presidents' Cup four times (2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017), while winning six NCAA Division II National Championships.
For the latest on Adelphi University Athletics, follow the Panthers at www.aupanthers.com or via social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Snapchat.
