Softball Sweeps Past Southern Connecticut; 12-4, 4-3
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (April 14, 2011) – The C.W. Post softball team swept past Southern Connecticut State University in a non-conference doubleheader, 12-4 and 4-3, Thursday afternoon at Pelz Field.
C.W. Post improves to 24-8 overall while Southern Connecticut slips to 14-12.
In the first game, the Pioneers went ahead 4-0 in the top of the second inning courtesy of two-run doubles from sophomore catcher
Nicole Capella (Shirley, N.Y.) and freshman leftfielder
Carly Chamberlain (Nesco, N.J.).
Southern Connecticut nearly matched it with three in the bottom of the third with RBI singles from Stacy Pouliot, Shawna Mallory and Jillian Thibault.
With a one-run lead heading into the sixth, the Pioneer bats exploded in the top of the inning, scoring eight runs on seven hits. It began when freshman third baseman
Nicole Hagenah (Commack, N.Y.) led off with a double to left field and came around to score in the next at bat when junior second baseman
Kendall Bright (Manlius, N.Y.) singled through the left side to push the Pioneers' lead to 5-3.
Sophomore shortstop
Nicole Fierro (East Hampton, N.Y.) doubled down the left line as Bright came around to score from second after advancing from first on a sacrifice bunt from freshman designated player
Angela Carmine (Westbury, N.Y.). Junior rightfielder
Krysta Palazzo (Sea Cliff, N.Y.) drove in the third run of the inning with a single down the right field line and sophomore first baseman
Kaci Hopkins (New Egypt, N.J.) recorded an RBI with a bases-loaded walk.
With two outs in the sixth, Hagenah came to the plate for second time in the inning and further put the game out of reach when she blasted her second grand slam of the season over the left field fence.
Hagenah was 3-for-4 in the game with four RBI and three runs scored. Chamberlain was 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored while Capella batted 3-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored.
Senior
Christina Berardi (Raynham, Mass.) got the winning decision and scattered seven hits over six innings and allowing two earned runs while striking out six.
In game two, the Pioneers plated the game's first run in the top of the first inning when Hagenah singled to left field to score Chamberlain from second, who had reached with a leadoff single.
The Owls put two runs up in the third inning courtesy of an RBI single from Kristin Whitley and a steal home from Robin Priest.
In the sixth inning, the Pioneers climbed back into the game and scored three runs to reclaim the lead. Bright unleashed a two-run home run to score the go-ahead run and junior right fielder Palazzo added an insurance RBI with a single to centerfield to score Fierro from second.
Southern Connecticut threatened in the bottom half of the sixth when Pouliot hit a two-out RBI single to put runners on the corners. But senior pitcher
Sarah Kiser (Arnold, Md.) got out of the jam by getting Brittany Bucko to foul out to Hopkins to end the inning.
Both sides were retired early in the seventh inning with no additional runs scored.
Kiser allowed three earned runs on five hits and two walks while striking out a game-high 11 batters.
Hagenah finished the game batting 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Hopkins also was 2-for-4 with a run scored. Bright was 1-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored while Palazzo batted 2-for-3 with an RBI.
C.W. Post returns to action on Saturday when it travels next door to face NYIT. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m.