Softball Narrowly Loses to Minnesota Duluth; 2-0, 4-3
Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2
CLERMONT, Fla. (Mar. 7, 2017) - The LIU Post softball team dropped a pair of tightly-contested games Monday night to University of Minnesota Duluth in a doubleheader at the 2017 PFX Spring Games at Hancock Park in Clermont.
The Pioneers, who slipped to 2-2 on the year, fell by a 2-0 final in the opener and came up short in the nightcap, 4-3.
Game #1: LIU Post 0, Minnesota Duluth 2
In the opening contest of the doubleheader, the Pioneers had a chance to strike early, but left three runners on base in the first two innings.
Meanwhile, the Bulldogs capitalized on an error in the first inning to break through for the game's opening run.
Then, in the third, junior infielder Becky Smith (Long Lake, Minn.) added to the Bulldogs' lead with a two-out RBI single down the first-base line.
Despite the early opportunity, the Pioneers mustered just five hits off senior pitcher Sam Hartmann (Maple Plain, Minn.) in the contest.
Freshman
Katie Humhej (Surrey, British Columbia, Canada) tossed six strong innings for the green and gold in her collegiate debut. She scattered six hits and two runs (none earned) with one walk and one strikeout.
Game #2: LIU Post 3, Minnesota Duluth 4
In the nightcap, the Pioneers trailed 3-1, until a late rally in the top of the fifth evened the score.
With a runner on third and one out, sophomore infielder
Leah Mele (Coram, N.Y.) hit an RBI single to plate senior infielder
Kayla McCoy (Smithtown, N.Y.), which closed the gap to 3-2.
One batter later, sophomore catcher and reigning East Coast Conference Player of the Week
Julia Seader (Piscataway, N.J.) plated Mele for the game-tying run with an RBI single to dead center.
However, the Bulldogs (7-5) answered with the eventual game-winning run in the last of the fifth. Following a one-out triple, Smith stroked a go-ahead RBI single to left to put UMD back in front.
The Pioneers nearly re-tied the contest though in their final turn at-bat. McCoy reached base on a fielder's choice with one out and subsequently stole second, but LIU Post was unable to drive her in.
Senior pitcher
Ashley Martin (Long Beach, N.Y.) was tagged with the loss in the decision. She threw 4.1 innings of four-hit, four-run (three earned), two-walk, three-strikeout ball. Sophomore pitcher
Hannah Olshevski (Robbinsville, N.Y.) followed with 1.2 frames of scoreless relief.
Head Coach
Jamie Apicella and the Pioneers are back in action Wednesday (Mar. 8), when they face the College of Saint Rose and Saint Anselm College at the PFX Spring Games at 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., respectively.