Softball Caps Off Rebel Games With a Sweep

3/15/2014 8:57:00 PM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (Mar. 15, 2014) - The LIU Post softball team closed out its trip to the Rebel Spring Games with a sweep of St. Cloud State, 6-2, and Concordia-St. Paul, 8-3, at the Auburndale Sports Complex in Winter Haven, Fla.

With the sweep, the Pioneers return home with a 5-3 record. St. Cloud State slipped to 4-5, while Concordia-St. Paul fell to 2-9.

In Game One, neither the Huskies nor the Pioneers could cross the plate through regulation. But in the eighth inning with the international tie-breaker rule in effect, the green and gold struck for six runs.

With the bases loaded and no outs, sophomore pinch hitter Maria Palmeri (Middle Village, N.Y.) singled to plate pinch runner Mackenzie Buckley (St. James, N.Y.).  Two batters later, senior pitcher Liz Weber (Brightwaters, N.Y.) scored on an error by the Huskies' first baseman. Back-to-back bases loaded walks by senior center fielder Alexis Gonzalez (Hauppauge, N.Y.) and senior shortstop Nicole Hagenah (Commack, N.Y.) brought freshman first baseman Kayla McCoy (Smithtown, N.Y.) and senior pinch runner Carly Chamberlain (Nesco, N.J.) across the plate. 

With sophomore designated player Paige Swantek (Smithtown, N.Y.) up to bat, freshman second baseman Melissa Peet (Monroe, Conn.) rushed home on a wild pitch.  Later in the at-bat, Swantek hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score Gonzalez for the sixth run.

St. Cloud State managed to cut the lead to four on consecutive RBIs by Breana Canova and Emma Hodges, but Weber struck out the final two Huskies to secure the win.

Weber threw eight innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on nine hits and one walk with six strikeouts.

Gonzalez led the Pioneer offense, going 2-for-2 with three walks, one run, and an RBI.

The Pioneers did not have to wait as long to get on the board in the second game. Hagenah drilled a two-run home run to left field with Peet aboard in the bottom of the first to kickstart the scoring. 

However, the Golden Bears took the lead with a three-spot in the third inning. Navarae Honoroff led things off with a solo shot to left center, which was followed by a single to center by Alicia Meiser. After stealing second and being sacrificed to third, Meiser scored on a suicide squeeze attempt that both Meiser and Jamie Fleishhacker were safe on. Two batters later, Fleishhacker made her way home for the third run.

Hagenah and LIU Post answered back in the bottom half of the frame as she deposited yet another ball over the fence, this time with both Peet and Gonzalez aboard.

Extending their lead to five in the bottom of the sixth, the Pioneers scored runs on a homer off the bat of junior catcher Aly Dzierzynski (Deer Park, N.Y.), along with RBI singles from Palmeri and Peet.

Freshman Ashley Martin (Long Beach, N.Y.) earned her second win in the circle, tossing a complete game. She scattered five hits and three walks over seven innings of work, allowing just three runs while fanning four.

Hagenah led the way in Game Two, going 2-for-3 at the plate with two home runs, five RBIs, and two runs scored. Peet and McCoy also had two hits apiece in the contest.

The Pioneers will now head back home to face Southern Connecticut State on Tuesday (Mar. 18). The doubleheader is slated to start at 1:30 p.m. at the LIU Post Softball Complex in Brookville, N.Y.