Dzierzynski's Big Day Leads No. 16 Softball Past Dowling; 9-1, 7-6
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Box Score 2 BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (Apr. 27, 2014) - It was a record-setting Sunday for the No. 16 LIU Post softball team, closing out the regular season with a sweep of Dowling at the LIU Post Softball Complex. Junior catcher
Aly Dzierzynski (Deer Park, N.Y.) hit a three-run shot to set a new school single-season home run mark.
The Pioneers (41-7, 25-3 ECC) opened with a 9-1 win in a five-inning bout, before earning a walk-off victory in the nightcap as Dzierzynski came home on a bases-loaded wild pitch.
Like typical LIU Post fashion, the green and gold jumped on the board in the first inning of Game One. After junior outfielder
Catherine Havens (Eastport, N.Y.) reached base after being hit by a pitch and made her way to third via a sacrifice bunt by senior second baseman
Angela Carmine (Westbury, N.Y.) and a passed ball, senior shortstop
Nicole Hagenah (Commack, N.Y.) singled her home.
The Pioneers then exploded for seven runs in the next frame as Havens and Carmine walked and got hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, followed by a grand slam to right center by senior outfielder
Alexis Gonzalez (Hauppauge, N.Y.). Later in the inning, freshman first baseman
Kayla McCoy (Smithtown, N.Y.) singled to score Hagenah from second base to bring the lead to 8-0.
Dowling (22-23, 15-13 ECC) got a run back in the top of the third as right fielder Crystal Tarango sent a solo shot over the fence in left center. But, Hagenah got the run back in the fourth when she drilled a ball off the flagpole in right center, scoring the 189th run of her career to set a new school record.
Tossing a complete-game two-hitter, senior
Liz Weber (Brightwaters, N.Y.) improved to 19-3 in the circle.
Hagenah finished the matchup 3-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
Game Two was a little more interesting. The Golden Lions kicked off the scoring in the opening frame as second baseman Erica Fischetti came home to score on a Pioneer miscue.
The LIU Post bats were held in check until the bottom of the third inning when Hagenah knocked home Havens on a fielder's choice. With two runners aboard, Dzierzynski came to the plate and sent her record-setting 18th long ball into the bleachers in left to increase her squad's lead to 4-1.
Dowling did not go down without a fight, retaking the lead in the next frame with a five-run inning. A two-RBI double by third baseman Arianna LaPuma followed by a two-run homer off the bat of Fischetti had the visitors sitting with a 5-4 advantage, but three batters later shortstop Victoria Gallagher doubled home Tarango to give the Golden Lions a two-run lead.
The Pioneers cut the lead to one as McCoy scored on an RBI single through the left side by Carmine in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Trailing by one in the final frame, the Pioneers had the stage set for a walk-off. Hagenah singled to right center to start the inning and Dzierzynski followed it up with a walk. Sophomore designated player
Paige Swantek (Smithtown, N.Y.) tied the score with an RBI single to left center. Then with the bases loaded, Dzierzynski scampered home on a wild pitch to win the game and secure the sweep.
Sophomore
Quincy Lewis (Corning, N.Y.) earned the win (2-2) as she tossed a scoreless seventh inning.
Swantek finished the game 3-for-4, while Carmine and Hagenah added two hits apiece.
The Pioneers wrapped up 2014 as ECC regular-season champions and will host the conference championships May 1-3. They open with a first-round match-up against Dowling, set to take place at 1 p.m. on Thursday at the LIU Post Softball Complex in Brookville, N.Y.