BROOKVILLE, N.Y. – Senior Leah Mele launched a walk-off home run in game two to help the LIU Post softball team extend its win streak to seven games as the Pioneers swept Wilmington University (Del.), in non-conference action on Sunday, March 24 at the LIU Post Softball Complex.
 
Mele lifted the first pitch she saw into the left-field bleachers to help LIU Post come from behind in game two to give the Green and Gold the sweep. The homer was part of a 2-for-4 day for Mele who drove in a team-best three runs. Junior Allie Laird finished 4-for-8 at the plate with a home run and two doubles. Three other Pioneers added two hits apiece, including junior Abbey Fortin who blasted a long home run over the left field bleachers.
 
In the circle, junior Katie Humhej earned two wins to improve to 9-1 on the year. Humhej tossed 8.1 innings with just two runs allowed, striking out seven batters. Senior Hannah Olshevski added 5.2 innings in the start in game two, allowing four runs.
 
Game One: LIU Post 3, Wilmington 2
 
An infield single to lead off the game coupled with a stolen base put a runner in scoring position with nobody out during the top of the first inning. A sacrifice fly after an eight-pitch at-bat gave the Wildcats a 1-0 lead early on. LIU Post jumped back into the game during the bottom half of the inning with a two-out double by Fortin and a base hit by sophomore Breanna Klaiber to level the scoring. Sophomore Hanna Finkelstein doubled to left-center field to close out the scoring with LIU Post leading 2-1 after one inning.
 
Wilmington worked out of a bases-loaded jam during the third inning and used the momentum to tie the game during the top of the fourth, scoring an unearned run to make it 2-2 midway through the contest. LIU Post stranded the bases loaded once again in the bottom half of the frame but finally broke through during the fifth as sophomore Patricia Dun ripped a two-out single to left-center field to bring home junior Ashley Casazza, giving LIU Post a 3-2 lead.
 
Humhej shut the door the rest of the way, stranding two runners on base during the seventh inning to earn her first win of the afternoon.
 
Game Two: LIU Post 6, Wilmington 4
 
After two scoreless innings, Fortin hit a no-doubt home run to open the scoring, giving the Pioneers a 2-0 lead during the bottom of the third inning. Later in the inning, Mele singled to center field to plate junior Megan Sneeden to take a three-run lead after three innings.
 
Olshevski retired the side in order during the first three frames before Wilmington rallied during the top of the fourth. The Wildcats plated two runs with two outs to cut the deficit down to one run. Back-to-back doubles to lead off the fifth inning helped Wilmington tie the score at 3-3. With the bases loaded an inning later, the Wildcats used an infield single by the speedy Rosa'Lynn Burton to take a 4-3 lead late in the contest.
 
Laird helped LIU Post pull back even with a solo home run to right-center field on an 0-2 pitch on the outer half of the plate. Humhej stranded one runner on base during the top of the seventh and with two outs in the bottom of the inning, Mele lifted the first pitch of the at-bat to give the Pioneers the dramatic victory for their seventh-consecutive win.
 
LIU Post opens East Coast Conference play against Mercy College on Tuesday, March 26 at Smith Field with a two-game set at 2:30 p.m.