BROOKVILLE, N.Y. – The LIU Post softball team's offense came to life as the Pioneers swept American International College in their home opener to improve to 6-6 on the season March 17.
 
The Pioneers 22 runs on 30 hits on the afternoon, led by a six-hit performance by junior Leah Mele. Mele finished 6-for-7 at the plate with four runs scored and three runs batted in. Freshman Brianna Klaiber added five hits on the day, while several others finished with three hits apiece, including sophomore Abbey Fortin who extender her hitting streak to 12 games.
 
In the circle, junior Hannah Olshevski and sophomore Katie Humhej each tossed complete games to earn the wins, allowing a combined three earned runs on the afternoon.
 
Game One – LIU Post 10, AIC 6
 
The Pioneers fell behind 4-0 early in the day's opener, but the offense exploded in the fourth inning to help the Green and Gold take full control. Entering the bottom of the fourth, the Pioneers trailed the Yellow Jackets 6-0, but plated eight runs in the bottom half of the frame, sending 13 batters to the plate in the process.
 
Fortin led off the inning with a solo shot and junior Ashley Melendez blasted a three-run homer to center field four batters later to cut the deficit down to two runs. With the bases loaded later in the inning, the Pioneers plated two runs on a Yellow Jacket throwing error and took their first lead when Fortin singled home Mele to make it 7-6. Klaiber added an RBI-single late in the frame to cap off the eight-run frame and give the Pioneers an 8-6 edge.
 
It was all the offensive help that Olsevski needed, as the junior allowed just two hits the rest of the way to earn the win. Senior Claire Travis drove in two runs in the sixth inning to help put the game out of reach as the Pioneers took game one by a 10-6 final.
 
Game Two – LIU Post 12, AIC 2 (5 Inn.)
 
The offense picked up right where it left off in the backend of Saturday's doubleheader, as the Pioneers racked up 16 hits and plated 12 runs in just four at-bats during game two.
 
The Yellow Jackets struck first once again, scoring one run in the top of the first, but the Pioneers quickly erased the deficit junior Julia Seader and Fortin plated one run each on RBI-groundouts in the bottom half of the frame to take a 2-1 lead. The big innings continued in the second for LIU Post, as a bases-loaded walk set the tone for two-run doubles by Seader and Fortin to break the game open as the Pioneers took a 7-1 lead with two outs. Travis delivered another RBI-single during the stanza and the Pioneers took a seven-run lead into the third inning.
 
The Pioneers put the game away for good in the fourth inning when they rallied off four more runs to put the eight-run mercy rule in effect. Sophomore Megan Sneeded doubled home a run early in the inning, and Mele capped off the burst with a double down the left field line to put LIU Post on top, 12-2.
 
Despite allowing a double in the top of the fifth, Humhej struck out Kayla Riley to end the game and help the Pioneers improve back to .500 on the young season.
 
It is a quick turnaround for the Pioneers as the team travels up the East Coast to Northeast-10 foe, the University of New Haven for a twin bill on Sunday, March 18 beginning at 12:00 p.m.