The Pioneer Trail: Monday, Apr. 6, 2015

4/6/2015 10:55:00 AM

Softball at Dowling - 1:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m.
If it seems like the LIU Post softball team has been unable to catch a break recently, it is because the Pioneers have been beset by a continuous barrage of inclement weather conditions. With the delays, cancellations and postponements building up, the schedule has been bunched up, forcing the green and gold to play catch-up. A marathon of 26 games in 20 days begins today, as LIU Post travels to Golden Lions Field for an East Coast Conference doubleheader with Dowling at 1:30 p.m.

LIU Post (11-6, 7-0 ECC) has won eight straight contests, despite having a weekend series with Southern New Hampshire wiped out because of poor weather in the New England region. In the most recent doubleheader, the Pioneers swept Bridgeport on Wednesday (Apr. 1), taking a 7-4 decision in game one before shutting out the Purple Knights in the nightcap by a final of 2-0. The storyline for the opening contest centered around junior infielder Maria Palmeri (Middle Village, N.Y.) who essentially defeated Bridgeport on her own in the batter's box. Palmeri had three hits in as many plate appearances, including a first-inning grand slam and the game-winning RBI single later in the fifth frame. Sophomore outfielder Mackenzie Buckley (St. James, N.Y.) clobbered a two-out RBI triple to centerfield in the bottom of the sixth inning for an insurance run. She would be awarded home plate on an interference call against Bridgeport's Tara Faford at third base. Junior hurler Isabella Corrao (Farmingdale, N.Y.) picked up the win in relief, allowing just one hit over 2.2 innings pitched.

The green and gold took game two early as senior catcher Aly Dzierzynski (Deer Park, N.Y.) clubbed a two-run homer in the first inning, which was all the offense that sophomore ace Ashley Martin (Long Beach, N.Y.) needed in the pitcher's circle. Martin tossed a complete-game two-hit shutout, striking out four Bridgeport batters to secure her sixth win of the season and fourth consecutive victory on the year.

Dowling (12-12-1, 4-5 ECC) had a more adventurous meeting with Bridgeport on Saturday (Apr. 4), as the Purple Knights grabbed a 12-11 walk-off win in the first game of a doubleheader. The Golden Lions, though, came back for an 11-1 thrashing of Bridgeport in the nightcap. Pitching was the problem for Dowling in the first game, as the team was unable to hold leads of 5-3, 6-5 and 11-5 to secure the victory. Bridgeport scored five runs in the bottom of the sixth and two in the bottom of the seventh to snatch the victory on a walk-off single off of losing pitcher Alisa Fjelstad (Corona, Calif.) Senior outfielder Amber Fogarty (Bay Shore, N.Y.) collected four hits for the Golden Lions and drove in three runs in the losing effort. Fogarty would be the main catalyst of the second game, as she drove in four runs to lead Dowling to victory. Freshman pitcher Vanessa Juenguerkes (Islip, N.Y.) tossed five innings of one-run ball to pick up her seventh victory on the season. 

Baseball vs. Saint Thomas Aquinas - 3 p.m.
For the first time all season, the LIU Post baseball team is trailing in a conference series. After taking three of four from both Mercy and Molloy, the Pioneers will look to salvage a split in their series with Saint Thomas Aquinas, which concludes today at LIU Post Baseball Field.

Six players had an RBI in the first game of a doubleheader Saturday (Apr. 4), but LIU Post (9-8, 7-4 ECC) fell to Saint Thomas Aquinas (12-7-1, 8-3 ECC) in that contest by a 9-6 final score. The Pioneers led 1-0 after two innings of play, but sophomore southpaw James Long (Oceanside, N.Y.) surrendered four runs in the next three innings to give the Spartans the edge. To the credit of the green and gold, the team came back with a three-run sixth inning, manufacturing the runs on a fielder's choice, a hit batsman and a bases-loaded walk. In the bottom of the sixth, the home side got to Long again, touching him up for three runs to grab a 7-4 lead. Another LIU Post rally made it 7-6 in the seventh, but the Spartans picked up two more runs to provide the final margin.

Junior first baseman David Groeneveld (Centereach, N.Y.) had two hits in four at-bats for the Pioneers and also scored three times. The plate discipline shown by LIU Post was something to behold, as the team drew 13 walks in total. However, the Pioneers did leave 12 runners on base in the contest. Long suffered the loss, going six innings and allowing five earned runs on 12 hits. Saint Thomas Aquinas cracked 16 hits in the game as seven hitters---including all who batted fourth through ninth in the lineup---had two hits. 

In game two, the Pioneers committed a season-high eight errors in the field and mustered no offense in a 6-0 loss at Provident Bank Park in Pomona, N.Y. Graduate pitcher Connor McCarthy (Westbury, N.Y.) gave up just two earned runs in the contest, but allowed eight hits and hit three batters in the loss. For the Spartans, senior lefty Nick May (Middletown, N.Y.) tossed a four-hit complete game shutout in the victory.