No. 23 Softball Picks Up Sweep of Mercy; 11-0, 8-6
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Box Score 2
BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (Mar. 27, 2014) - The No. 23 LIU Post softball team opened up East Coast Conference play with a sweep of Mercy Thursday afternoon at the LIU Post Softball Complex in Brookville, N.Y. The Pioneers took the first game, 11-0, in five innings, before picking up the 8-6 victory in the nightcap.
LIU Post (15-3) scored more than enough runs with a three-run first inning for starter
Liz Weber (Brightwaters, N.Y.), who earned her eighth victory of the season, tossing her second shutout of the year. The senior threw a complete-game three-hitter while walking just one and striking out two.
The Pioneers matched their three-run first with a three-run second and third innings. In the second frame, Weber helped her cause with a solo shot into the bleachers in left. Sophomore
Paige Swantek (Smithtown, N.Y.) added a two-RBI double, scoring seniors
Alexis Gonzalez (Hauppauge, N.Y.) and
Nicole Hagenah (Commack, N.Y.).
Weber knocked a sacrifice fly in the third to plate freshman
Kayla McCoy (Smithtown, N.Y.), and in the Pioneers' two-run fourth, she singled through the left side to score pinch runner
Mackenzie Buckley (St. James, N.Y.).
Swantek finished the game a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBIs and a run scored. Weber chipped in a 2-for-2 showing with three RBIs of her own.
Mary Sieber was tabbed with the loss as she threw two and one-third innings, giving up nine runs (seven earned) on eight hits and four walks.
In Game Two, the Mavericks were finally able to push across a run as designated player Megan Johnson drilled a two-run home run to right field in the first inning.
The visitors would not hold on to the lead for long, though, as LIU Post plated three in the second. Sophomore third baseman
Maria Palmeri (Middle Village, N.Y.) flew out to center field for the sacrifice fly that sent home Swantek from third. In the very next at-bat with runners on second and third, junior right fielder
Samantha Miller (East Meadow, N.Y.) singled up the middle to bring around junior catcher
Aly Dzierzynski (Deer Park, N.Y.) and McCoy.
Mercy answered right back in the next frame with an RBI infield single by Jackie Couliard. But in the bottom half of the inning, the green and gold exploded for five runs. Hagenah doubled to center to score Gonzalez to start things off. Two batters later, Dzierzynski cleared the bleachers in left field for her sixth home run of the year. Palmeri belted a two-run homer of her own after McCoy reached on a Maverick miscue.
In the fifth, Johnson hit her second two-run homer of the game to cut the lead to three, and an infield single by Kelly Bentson in the seventh brought the score to 8-6. That was all Mercy could manage though as reliever
Quincy Lewis (Corning, N.Y.) earned her third save of the season.
Freshman
Ashley Martin (Long Beach, N.Y.) improved to 7-0 in the circle, giving up six runs on eight hits and two walks while fanning five. Her counterpart, Brittany Serrao, dipped to 0-5 on the year as she tossed two and two-thirds innings, allowing eight runs (three earned) on seven hits and one walk.
Hagenah, Dzierzynski, and Palmeri each finished the game with two hits, while Palmeri added three RBIs.
The Pioneers will return to action on Saturday (Mar. 29), as they host regional foe Merrimack for a doubleheader at the LIU Post Softball Complex. Play is set to start at 2 p.m.