Softball Finishes Regular Season With Sweep Of Queens; 6-3 And 8-0
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FLUSHING, N.Y. (April 27, 2013) – The No. 15 LIU Post softball team ended its regular season on a high note with a doubleheader sweep of East Coast Conference foe Queens College Saturday afternoon. In game one, the Pioneers scored four runs in the top of the seventh to secure the 6-3 victory and followed with an 8-0 blanking in game two.
With the sweep, LIU Post ends the regular season with a 44-11 overall record including 25-3 in conference play, while Queens slips to 12-22 on the season and 11-12 in ECC action.
The Pioneers did not waste any time to kick off the offense in game one with two runs in the top of the first. Junior center fielder
Alexis Gonzalez (Hauppauge, N.Y.) knocked in junior pitcher
Liz Weber (Brightwaters, N.Y.) with a double to right center, and two wild pitches later Gonzalez crossed the plate on her own.
Both teams would be held scoreless until the bottom of the sixth when Queens' first baseman
Carla Pennolino hit a two-run homerun to center field to knot the score at 2-2.
But the Pioneers answered back in a big way in the top of the seventh. Sophomore catcher
Aly Dzierzynski (Deer Park, N.Y.) drilled a double to right center scoring Gonzalez and junior shortstop
Nicole Hagenah (Commack, N.Y.). Freshman second baseman
Maria Palmeri (Middle Village, N.Y.) followed in the next at bat with a single to right field to score Dzierzynski. Freshman designated player
Paige Swantek (Smithtown, N.Y.) joined in with a double to right field allowing Palmeri to cross the plate bringing the score to 6-2.
Queens scored a run in the bottom of the seventh, but it was not enough for the comeback.
Weber earned her 22
nd win of the season striking out nine in the complete game effort. Gonzalez and Swantek each finished game one with three hits to lead the Pioneers offensively.
Game two was a much different story as sophomore hurler
Megan Salcido (Brawley, Calif.) pitched a five-inning, complete game shutout allowing just two hits and one walk while fanning five.
The Pioneers were not short offensively, matching Salcido's stellar pitching effort with eight runs in the game. Hagenah blasted a homerun to left center to start the scoring in the top of the second, and two batters later Palmeri doubled to right center to score Dzierzynski who reached on an error.
Four more runs were added by the Pioneers in the third with Gonzalez getting things started with a two RBI double scoring sophomore right fielder
Samantha Miller (East Meadow, N.Y.) and Weber. Hagenah and Dzierzynski followed in the next two at bats with sacrifice flies to center plating sophomore left fielder
Catherine Havens (Eastport, N.Y.) and Gonzalez, respectively.
Another two runs came across for the Pioneers in the fourth on a Gonzalez double to right center.
Gonzalez and Palmeri finished game two with two hits apiece, while Gonzalez added four RBI.
Starting Thursday, LIU Post will begin play in the East Coast Conference tournament at home as the No. 1 seed and will await to hear its opponent.