Softball Tops Caldwell, 7-4, in Super Regional Action
Box Score BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (May 16, 2014) - The No. 20 LIU Post softball team topped ninth-ranked Caldwell, 7-4, in the opener of the best-of-three series of the NCAA Division II East Super Regional Friday afternoon at the LIU Post Softball Complex in Brookville, N.Y.
The Pioneers improved to 49-8, setting a new program record for wins in a season, and are one win away from a trip to the College World Series in Salem, Va. May 22-26. With the loss, Caldwell dips to 49-8.
In typical LIU Post fashion, the Pioneers jumped to an early lead in a huge way. Senior shortstop
Nicole Hagenah (Commack, N.Y.) drew a walk to lead off the second inning. In the next at bat, junior catcher
Aly Dzierzynski (Deer Park, N.Y.) singled to right-center, and designated player
Paige Swantek (Smithtown, N.Y.) loaded the bases on a free pass for freshman first baseman
Kayla McCoy (Smithtown, N.Y.). McCoy laced the first pitch she saw into the left-field bleachers to give her squad a 4-0 lead on her second grand slam and sixth homer of the season.
The Cougars retaliated with a three-run third inning courtesy of a long ball. After starter
Liz Weber (Brightwaters, N.Y.) retired the first two batters of the inning, center fielder Caitlin McCready and designated player Brielle Reighn notched back-to-back singles up the middle, bringing catcher Alyssa Calderon to the dish. Calderon lined a 2-1 pitch over the fence in left-center, cutting the deficit to one at 4-3.
Leading off for the second-consecutive inning, Hagenah blasted a long ball to left-center, her 14th of the year, to give her team a 5-3 edge.
The visitors once again came within one run in the top of the fifth. Third baseman Kristen Knorr led off the frame with a base hit to left, causing head coach
Jamie Apicella to turn to the bullpen, bringing in freshman
Ashley Martin (Long Beach, N.Y.). After a sacrifice bunt moved Knorr to second, she advanced home on a double off the left-field fence by Reighn.
The Pioneers pulled away, though, in the bottom half of the inning. For the third time on the afternoon, Hagenah reached safely to start off the inning as she singled through the left side. Dzierzynski drilled a single to center, bringing Swantek to the plate with two on and nobody out. The Smithtown native roped a base knock past the diving Knorr, but the ball found its way under left fielder Nicole Velardi's glove and rolled all the way to the fence allowing both Hagenah and Dzierzynski to make their way home.
That would be all the scoring for either side as Sydney Ponto came in to relieve starter Amber Padilla. The freshman reliever tossed the final two innings without surrendering a hit but walking two. Padilla was tabbed with the loss as she allowed seven runs (five earned) on nine hits and four walks in four innings of work.
Weber improved to 25-3 in the circle in her four-inning performance. The senior scattered five hits and three walks while giving up four runs. Martin earned her first save of the season, tossing the final three innings. She gave up just two hits and one walk while striking out two.
Senior second baseman
Angela Carmine (Westbury, N.Y.), Hagenah, and Dzierzynski each had a multi-hit game. Hagenah added two walks and three runs scored, while McCoy totaled four RBIs.
The Pioneers look to punch their ticket to the College World Series on Saturday (May 17) as they will once again face-off against Caldwell at 1 p.m. at the LIU Post Softball Complex in Brookville.