No. 16 Softball Downs New Haven; 7-3, 2-1
Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 WEST HAVEN, Conn. (Apr. 24, 2014) - Determined to hold the spot atop the East Region, the No. 16 LIU Post softball team traveled to West Haven, Conn. and brought back a sweep of New Haven on Thursday. The Pioneers won the pair of games by scores of 7-3 and 2-1.
The green and gold (38-6) jumped on the board early in the matinee when senior shortstop
Nicole Hagenah (Commack, N.Y.) singled home senior outfielder
Alexis Gonzalez (Hauppauge, N.Y.) from second base.
The Pioneers added to their lead with a four-run third inning courtesy of a three-run blast by junior catcher
Aly Dzierzynski (Deer Park, N.Y.). The long ball was her 17th of the season, tying the school's single-season home run record. Later in the frame, junior outfielder
Catherine Havens (Eastport, N.Y.) knocked in freshman first baseman
Kayla McCoy (Smithtown, N.Y.) to extend the visitors' lead to 5-0.
A two-run homer by Julie Devlin in the bottom of the third finally put New Haven (26-15) on the board, but two more LIU Post runs in the top of the sixth via an RBI single by sophomore designated player
Paige Swantek (Smithtown, N.Y.) and a bases-loaded hit by pitch by sophomore third baseman
Maria Palmeri (Middle Village, N.Y.) put the game out of reach.
Senior
Liz Weber (Brightwaters, N.Y.) improved to 17-3 in the circle, tossing 4.1 innings of three-run (two earned), three-hit, three-walk, one-strikeout ball. Junior
Megan Salcido (Brawley, Calif.) earned her first save of the season as she tossed the final 2.2 innings, allowing just two hits while fanning two.
Swantek was the sole Pioneer to register two hits in the opener. Dzierzynski finished 1-for-1 with a homer, three walks, three RBIs and two runs scored.
Game Two was quite the pitchers' duel as the two sides combined for a mere five hits. LIU Post recorded three, whereas UNH managed just two off freshman hurler
Ashley Martin (Long Beach, N.Y.).
One of the Chargers' two hits came in the bottom of the first. Devlin led off with a walk and made her way to third on wild pitches. Lindsey Couturier then ripped a single up the middle, good enough to push across Devlin for UNH's lone run of the nightcap.
The Chargers' starter Victoria Cabral did not allow a Pioneer to advance past second base until the top of the fifth inning. With the bases loaded and two outs, Swantek laced a double to right-center, scoring Gonzalez and Hagenah for the tying and deciding runs.
In the circle, Martin shut out UNH over the final six frames. The freshman (16-0) tossed a complete-game two-hitter, while walking five and striking out three.
Along with Swantek, Havens and Gonzalez finished with a hit in the game.
The Pioneers return to action on Saturday (Apr. 24) at neighboring NYIT for an ECC tilt. First pitch is scheduled for noon.