BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (April 29, 2009) – Seniors Shannon Kulnis (Flemington, N.J.) and Ashley Marchese (Patchogue, N.Y.) both homered for the Pioneers, and sophomore pitcher Sarah Kiser (Cooper City, Fla.) struck out 13 in a complete-game four hitter as No. 20 C.W. Post, the third seed in the East Coast Conference Championship tournament, defeated the sixth-seeded Queens Knights, 4-2, on Wednesday afternoon.

The win improves the Pioneers to 31-16 and advances them to face second-seeded Adelphi on Friday, May 1 at 9 a.m. at NYIT, the host site for the 2009 ECC Championship Tournament.

The Pioneers wasted no time in taking the lead as Melissa Medina (Levittown, N.Y.) singled and moved to second on Marchese's sacrifice. Freshman second baseman Kerry Fisher (Barto, Pa.) singled up the middle to score Medina for the game's first run. Two batters later, Kulnis homered to left with a runner on base to put three runs on the board in favor of the hosts.

Queens would fight back in the third as Jillian Rini worked a walk and Roseann Mercurio singled to third. Kiser struck out the next batter but a double steal put both runners in scoring position. Christina Colon hit a soft grounder to Marchese at first, who fired home, but freshman catcher Kristen Morcone (Milford, Mass.) couldn't hold onto the ball and a sliding Rini was safe at the plate. With Mercurio on third and Colon on first, Colon stole second and Morcone's throw got away from junior shortstop Christie Softy (Floral Park, N.Y.), allowing Mercurio to score and make it a one-run game, 3-2.

The Pioneers answered right back with a run in the bottom of the third, as Marchese sent a solo shot over the fence in left center for a 4-2 lead and some breathing room for the Pioneers.

The Pioneers would threaten in the sixth as Kulnis led off with a double to left center and moved to third on a bunt single by junior outfielder Katie Fisher (Barto, Pa.) But Queens pitcher Christy Sanders caught Megan Correia (Seekonk, Mass.) looking for the first out, and after Fisher stole second, pinch runner Lindsey Trotto (Princeton, Mass.) was tagged out by the Queens third baseman on Morcone's fielder's choice grounder, and pinch hitter Kendall Bright (Manlius, N.Y.) hit a humpback liner to second base that was caught for the third out.

But Kiser would not need any more run support as she allowed only four hits and two runs (both unearned) and walked only one batter while striking out 13. She shut the Knights down 1-2-3 in the fourth and sixth innings, and allowed only one batter to reach second base from the fourth inning on. 

Medina and Kulnis each had two hits to lead the Pioneers offensively, as Medina rapped two singles and scored a run, and Kulnis, in addidtion to her two-run homer, added a double in the sixth inning. 

Victoria Coan took the Queens College loss, throwing two innings giving up four runs on five hits. Sanders did not allow a run in four innings of relief. 

Queens, at 23-22, will face fifth-seeded Molloy, who lost 4-0 to NYIT, at 2 p.m. on Friday, also at NYIT.