The Pioneer Trail: Wednesday, Mar. 25, 2015

3/25/2015 10:24:00 AM

No. 19 Softball vs. Mercy - 1 p.m.; 3 p.m.
The LIU Post softball team is back to its winning ways, having taken three consecutive home contests to improve to a .500 record on the season. Looking to continue their dominance of East Coast Conference opponents, the Pioneers will host Mercy at LIU Post Softball Complex for a doubleheader.

No. 19 LIU Post (6-6, 2-0 ECC) swept NYIT on Tuesday (Mar. 24), winning the first game by an 8-0 mercy rule in six innings and taking the second contest 3-2 over the Bears. In the opening contest, the Pioneers jumped on the board early with a four-run first inning. Sophomore infielder Melissa Peet (Monroe, Conn.) continued her sensational season with an RBI single, followed by run-scoring hits by junior Maria Palmeri (Middle Village, N.Y.) and sophomore Kayla McCoy (Smithtown, N.Y.). Palmeri went 2-for-3 in the contest with two runs batted in to lead the Pioneers. Junior catcher Paige Swantek (Smithtown, N.Y.) clobbered a two-run home run down the left-field line in the sixth inning, which proved to be a walk-off round-tripper thanks to the mercy rule. Sophomore pitcher Ashley Martin (Long Beach, N.Y.) dazzled in the circle with a one-hit, seven-strikeout performance against the Bears. 

In Game Two, Swantek started things off with an RBI double in the first inning, but NYIT would score in the top of the second. In the bottom of the frame, senior outfielder Samantha Miller (East Meadow, N.Y.) laced an RBI single up the middle to score the Pioneers' second run. The 2-1 lead would hold until the sixth, when senior catcher Aly Dzierzynski (Deer Park, N.Y.) clubbed a two-out double to right-center field to score the all-important insurance run. Senior pitcher Megan Salcido (Brawley, Calif.) pitched five-plus innings of one-run ball to pick up the win, and junior hurler Isabella Corrao (Farmingdale, N.Y.) notched her second save of the year.

Mercy (1-10, 0-0 ECC) will open its conference season against the Pioneers after dropping its first nine games and 10 of its first 11 contests. The Mavericks split a doubleheader at the NTC Spring Games in Clermont, Fla. back on Mar. 13, defeating AIC, 2-0, before succumbing to Bentley by a 6-5 score. In the win over the Yellow Jackets, a pair of freshman stood out to give Mercy its first victory on the season. Freshman outfielder Chelsea Konyar (Halifax, Pa.) hit a two-run triple in the fifth inning to provide the only scoring and freshman pitcher Taylor Holmes (Ashford, Conn.) silenced AIC to the tune of a three-hit, six-strikeout outing.

The Mavericks went down early in the second game of the doubleheader, as sophomore pitcher Holly Pundick (Whiterock, British Columbia, Canada) allowed three runs in the first inning to Bentley. Mercy scored four runs in the final two innings, but the Falcons put up two runs in the top of the seventh inning to provide the ultimate difference in the contest. Senior catcher Jackie Couillard (Wolcott, Conn.) had two doubles and an RBI in the loss, while sophomore utility player Julie Gross (Port Monmouth, N.J.) also collected two hits for Mercy.

No. 10/11 Women's Lacrosse vs. No. 12 Saint Anselm - 3 p.m.
Coming off its lowest-scoring performance in a victory in program history, the LIU Post women's lacrosse team has one more game on this homestand. The Pioneers will look for its third-straight victory and have an opportunity to remain undefeated through five home contests as they host Saint Anselm at Bethpage Federal Credit Union Stadium.

No.10/11 LIU Post (5-2, 2-0 ECC) was victorious on the scoreboard on Saturday (Mar. 21), defeating Roberts Wesleyan by a 6-4 score in Brookville, N.Y. The six-goal output was the lowest total goals scored by the Pioneers in a win since a 7-6 victory over Adelphi in the 2013 NCAA Tournament semifinals. Against the Redhawks, senior midfielder Jenna Pierro (Holbrook, N.Y.) scored a hat trick to lead the Pioneers to the victory. Sophomore attacker Stefani Vagelatos (Port Jefferson Station, N.Y.) added a pair of goals and red-shirt sophomore attacker Emily Delaney (Long Valley, N.J.) picked up a goal of her own. Sophomore midfielder Connor Bird (Syosset, N.Y.) tallied three assists, three ground balls and three caused turnovers in the win. Freshman goalkeeper Olivia Kirk (Farmingdale, N.Y.) earned the win, making two saves in the cage.

No. 12 Saint Anselm (3-2, 2-2 NE-10) overwhelmed AIC with a 21-goal outburst in a 21-9 victory on Tuesday (Mar. 24). Junior midfielder Erin Marshall (Woburn, Mass.) led the Hawks' barrage with six goals, four of which came in the second half of action. Saint Anselm actually scored 15 goals in the second frame, overcoming a slow start against the Yellow Jackets to take the game. Junior attacker Caitlin Villareal (Portsmouth, R.I.), senior midfielder Sarah Doherty (Franklin, Mass.) and senior attacker Marissa Daly (Marshfield, Mass.) each added a hat trick for the Hawks, which outshot AIC 24-10 in the second half and 39-25 overall. Junior netminder Jane Bunn (St. Johns, Fla.) made nine saves between the pipes for the win.

No. 7/6 Men's Lacrosse at Post - 3:30 p.m.
The LIU Post men's lacrosse team completed a three-game homestand by outscoring opponents by a 43-19 margin over the three victories. Now, the Pioneers will take their show on the road for the annual "Post-Post" match-up as the team heads to Waterbury, Conn. for a 3:30 contest with the Eagles.

No. 7/6 LIU Post (7-1, 4-0 ECC) took Chestnut Hill out of its comfort zone early on Saturday (Mar. 21), in a game that resulted in an 18-5 shellacking by the Pioneers. The green and gold scored 12 goals in the first half, six in both the first and second quarters, and only allowed one goal from the Griffins in that amount of time. Senior attackman Chris Caiazza (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) led the charge of the scoring brigade, earning six goals and compiling a seven-point (6 G, 1 A) day, while junior attackmen Matt Bellando (Miami, Fla.), Matty Beccaris (North Babylon, N.Y.) and Ryan Slane (North Babylon, N.Y.) combined for seven goals and five assists in the win. Junior midfielder Anthony Berardis (Mahopac, N.Y.) totaled four goals on eight shots as LIU Post outgunned the Griffins, taking 45 shots and winning 18-of-26 faceoffs. Junior goalie Adam Winne (Ridgefield, Conn.) made 11 saves in the victory, and earned ECC Goalkeeper of the Week accolades for his performance.

Post (3-4) has won its last two contests, including an 11-10 victory over Dominican last Thursday (Mar. 19) in Hillburn, N.Y. The Eagles scored three times in the first period and held Dominican off of the scoreboard, a key stat which proved to be the difference in the entire contest. Freshman attacker Frank Nichols, Jr. (Oceanside, Calif.) and senior midfielder Brian Beatson (Falls Church, Va.) scored hat tricks for Post, while sophomore attackman Trevor Buchas (Bristol, Conn.) added a pair of goals. Senior cageminder Anthony DeRosa (Toms River, N.J.) earned the win, stopping six shots for the Eagles.