Softball Plays To 1-1 Split With No. 8 Dowling
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (April 26, 2011) – Junior centerfielder Kerry Fisher (Barto, Pa.) and freshman third baseman Nicole Hagenah (Commack, N.Y.) each batted 2-for-3 with two RBI to lead C.W. Post to a 4-3 win in its first game of the day over eighth-ranked Dowling College in a Tuesday afternoon East Coast Conference softball matchup. The Golden Lions rallied to take game two, 5-3.
C.W. Post improves to 32-10 overall and 18-6 in the ECC. Dowling improves its record to 36-4 overall and 22-2 in the ECC.
C.W. Post took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning in game one when Hagenah hit an RBI single to the shortstop to score sophomore first baseman Kaci Hopkins (New Egypt, N.J.), who had reached with a single to the outfield. The Pioneers put up another run in the bottom of the third when Fisher roped a single to centerfield to score junior rightfielder Krysta Palazzo (Sea Cliff, N.Y.).
Fisher and Hagenah continued to lead the offense as they hit back-to-back RBI singles to the outfield in the fifth inning that elevated C.W. Post's lead to 4-0.
Dowling did finally get on the board in the sixth when Stephanie Tarango came to the plate with a pair of runners on and sent a first pitch offering over the fence in right center to cut the lead to 4-3.
But that was as close as Dowling would come as senior pitcher Christina Berardi (Raynham, Mass.) retired the side in the seventh with a strikeout, a flyout and a ground out.
Hopkins was 1-for-3 at the plate and came around to score two of the Pioneers' runs.
Berardi won her 18th game of the season, allowing three runs on six hits and a walk with seven strikeouts.
Felicia Mendoza took the loss after letting up three earned runs on six hits and two walks with three strikeouts.
Game two started out as a pitcher's dual between C.W. Post's Sarah Kiser (Arnold, Md.) and Dowling's Jessie Stavola as each pitcher threw three scoreless innings.
The Golden Lions scored first in the top of the fourth when Stephanie Tarango hit an 0-2 pitch over the fence in left center with a runner on to lead 2-0.
The Pioneers got one run back in the bottom half of the inning when Hagenah hit her 13th home run of the season to left center.
Dowling answered back in the fifth with a three-run home run to left field off the bat of Melissa Perez to take a 5-1 lead.
The Pioneers continued to battle and put two runs on the board in the fifth when Fisher reached on an infield fielding error with bases loaded that allowed Palazzo and freshman Britney Agostini (Dover, Del.) to score. They threatened in the sixth and seventh with a runner on third but could not catch up in the game.
Stavola earned the win after allowing one earned run on four hits with 10 strikeouts. Mendoza came into the game in the fifth and pitched two and a third scoreless innings to earn the save.
Emily Slack led the Golden Lions in hits, batting 3-for-4 in the game. Perez was 1-for-3 with three RBI and a run scored while Tarango was 1-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored.
Kiser was tagged with the loss after giving up five earned runs on eight hits and a walk with five strikeouts. Junior Hayley Bettles (Surrey, British Columbia) came in relief in the sixth and allowed just one hit over the final inning and two thirds.
Junior catcher Kristen Morcone (Milford, Mass.) led the Pioneers in hits with two doubles while Hagenah was 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run.
C.W. Post returns to action on Wednesday when it faces Molloy College at the Softball Complex at 3 p.m.