BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (Mar. 31, 2016) - The LIU Post softball team closed out the month of March Thursday with a non-conference sweep of Southern Connecticut State University in Brookville.

The Pioneers (18-6) rode a strong start to a 6-0 victory in the opener, before earning a come-from-behind 4-3 nine-inning win over the Owls (6-18) in the nightcap.

Game #1: LIU Post 6, Southern Conn. St. 0
LIU Post took the opener, behind a two-hit, complete-game shutout from junior pitcher Ashley Martin (Long Beach, N.Y.). Martin walked three and struck out nine in the victory.

The Pioneers grabbed the early lead in the second inning, when senior designated player Paige Swantek (Smithtown, N.Y.) lined a lead-off solo shot over the left-field fence.

Then, in the third, LIU Post put up a four-spot to widen its cushion to 5-0. Freshman first baseman Ashley Melendez (Levittown, N.Y.) had the big hit of the frame, a two-RBI double to center.

Senior third baseman Maria Palmeri (Middle Village, N.Y.) capped off the scoring with an RBI single to right-center in the fourth, plating freshman shortstop Leah Mele (Coram, N.Y.).

Game #2: LIU Post 4, Southern Conn. St. 3 - 9 Inn.
Down 3-1 in their final turn at-bat, the Pioneers tagged Owls' reliever Audrey Dolloff (Raynham, Mass.) for back-to-back run-scoring plays to tie the score at 3-all.

LIU Post put its first two runners on in the frame, via a Samantha Marrone (Holbrook, N.Y.) walk and a Julia Seader (Piscataway, N.J.) single. From there, Palmeri hit an RBI single to center to slice the deficit to 2-1, while a Swantek groundout pulled the game even.

Though the Pioneers stranded the potential game-winning run at third in the seventh and eighth innings, the green and gold did not let the opportunity slip away in the ninth.

Palmeri opened the frame with an infield single, and later moved into scoring position on a Swantek sacrifice bunt. A hard liner by junior second baseman Kayla McCoy (Smithtown, N.Y.) eventually scored Palmeri for the walk-off victory.

Freshman pitcher Hannah Olshevski (Robbinsville, N.J.) earned her sixth-straight win in the decision. She tossed nine innings of three-run (two earned), two-walk, two-strikeout ball.

Head Coach Jamie Apicella and his LIU Post squad return to the diamond Saturday (Apr. 2), when they face East Coast Conference foe New York Institute of Technology at noon in Old Westbury.