Apicella Reaches 600 Wins with Sweep of Le Moyne
Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2
BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (Mar. 20, 2014) - Head Coach
Jamie Apicella of the LIU Post softball team picked up the 600th win of his coaching career Thursday, as the Pioneers swept Le Moyne, 5-4 and 7-0, in Brookville, N.Y.
In Game One, the visitors jumped on the board early. Sabrina Riley ripped an RBI double to right-center in the top of the first, scoring Courtney Case. From there, neither squad had anything going until the fourth inning when a Chelsea Claflin double to left-center extended the Dolphins' lead to 2-0.
The Pioneers answered in the bottom half of the frame, though, as sophomore designated player
Paige Swantek (Smithtown, N.Y.) drilled a line drive over the fence in left-center with senior center fielder
Alexis Gonzalez (Hauppauge, N.Y.) aboard to tie the game.
With two outs in the very next inning, Gonzalez gave her squad a three-run cushion, lining a shot over the right field fence, following a lead-off single by sophomore third baseman
Maria Palmeri (Middle Village, N.Y.) and a hit by pitch by freshman second baseman
Melissa Peet (Monroe, Conn.).
Le Moyne did not go down without a fight as it came within a score in the top of the seventh, but sophomore reliever
Quincy Lewis (Corning, N.Y.) came on to pitch and recorded the final out via strikeout to end the threat and earn the save.
Senior
Liz Weber (Brightwaters, N.Y.) pitched six and two-thirds innings for her fifth win of the year. Gonzalez finished the game 3-for-3 with three RBIs and two runs scored to lead the offense.
Game Two was a different story as freshman hurler
Ashley Martin (Long Beach, N.Y.) was lights out for the Pioneers. The rookie recorded nine strikeouts and let up just three hits over seven innings of work for the shutout, while her teammates belted three home runs.
Junior catcher
Aly Dzierzynski (Deer Park, N.Y.) swatted a three-run homer, plating Swantek and senior shortstop
Nicole Hagenah (Commack, N.Y.), in the second inning and a two-run blast in the fourth. Then, Swantek joined in and smacked her second of the day in the sixth inning after a lead-off double by Hagenah to put the game out of reach at 7-0.
Swantek finished the nightcap 3-for-3 with three runs scored and two RBIs. Hagenah and Dzierzynski added two hits and two runs apiece, while Dzierzynski totaled five RBIs.
Sarah Harrison was saddled with the loss in both games, bringing her record to 5-5.
The Pioneers continue their homestand Saturday (Mar. 22), as they host Stonehill at the LIU Post Softball Complex for a doubleheader starting at noon.