No. 18 Softball Splits a Pair at No. 11 Caldwell
Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 CALDWELL, N.J. (Apr. 13, 2014) - Three-run homers by junior catcher
Aly Dzierzynski (Deer Park, N.Y.) and sophomore third baseman
Maria Palmeri (Middle Village, N.Y.) in the nightcap helped the 18th-ranked LIU Post softball team to a non-conference split with No. 11 Caldwell on Sunday in Caldwell, N.J.
The Cougars (26-4) earned the win in the opener by a score of 5-3, but the Pioneers (27-5) answered with an 8-4 victory in the latter to pick up the split.
The home squad jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in Game One as Brielle Reighn, Alyssa Calderon, and Megan Fryday drove in RBIs in the first inning. Calderon added another with an RBI single in the second.
The green and gold managed to cut the lead in half in the fourth. Freshman first baseman
Kayla McCoy (Smithtown, N.Y.) reached on an infield single, and scored on a Caldwell error that allowed senior center fielder
Alexis Gonzalez (Hauppauge, N.Y.) to come all the way around to third. Senior shortstop
Nicole Hagenah (Commack, N.Y.) followed with an RBI single to center to bring the score to 4-2.
Caldwell and LIU Post added a run in the fifth and sixth innings, respectively, for a final score of 5-3 in favor of the hosts.
Junior left fielder
Catherine Havens (Eastport, N.Y.), Hagenah, and Dzierzynski finished the game with two hits apiece, while Hagenah added an RBI and a run scored.
The Cougars once again took the early lead in the nightcap as they scored two in the first inning and one in the second.
The Pioneers answered in the top of the third as they exploded for four runs on four hits. Senior right fielder
Jessica Julich (Kings Park, N.Y.) led off the frame with a double to left-center and moved to third on a Havens' groundout. After a McCoy walk, Julich scored on a sacrifice fly by Gonzalez. Hagenah followed with a single, giving the Pioneers first and second to set the plate for Dzierzynski to give her squad the lead. The junior blasted her league-leading 12th homer of the year to dead center, bringing the score to 4-3 in favor of the Pioneers.
Each side scored a run on an error in the sixth as the visitors retained its one run lead (5-4) heading into the final inning.
In the seventh, LIU Post extended its lead to 8-4 when Palmeri drilled a three-run shot over the fence in left with senior pinch runner
Carly Chamberlain (Nesco, N.J.) and sophomore designated player
Paige Swantek (Smithtown, N.Y.) aboard.
Sophomore reliever
Quincy Lewis (Corning, N.Y.) shut down the Cougars in order in the bottom of the seventh with three-consecutive groundouts to earn her sixth save of the season.
Freshman
Ashley Martin (Long Beach, N.Y.) improved to 11-0 in the circle as she allowed four runs (three earned) over five and one-third innings of work.
In Game Two, Dzierzynski, Swantek, and Palmeri registered two hits apiece. Dzierzynski and Palmeri added three RBIs on their roundtrippers.
The Pioneers are back in action on Tuesday (Apr. 15) as they head to Brookhaven, N.Y. for an East Coast Conference match-up at Dowling. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.