WATERBURY, Conn. – The LIU Post softball team struggled during game one but battled back with a strong performance in the back end of today's doubleheader at Post University, earning a split with the Eagles in non-conference action.
Senior
Leah Mele reached base safely in six of her seven plate appearances, recording three singles and three walks. Classmate
Julia Seader added five hits, including one double and one home run. Junior
Allie Laird added four hits and sophomore
Hanna Finkelstein posted a three-hit performance.
Finkelstein also made her debut inside the circle this season, tossing one scoreless inning in relief with one strikeout. Senior
Hannah Olshevski earned her fifth-consecutive victory, allowing just one run on four hits during a complete-game outing.
Game One: LIU Post 3, Post 7
The Pioneers matched the Eagles with 10 hits on the day but struggled to deliver the key hit when necessary, stranding seven runners on base, including five in scoring position. Post jumped on top, scoring early and often to take control of the contest. After scoring twice during its first at-bat, Post added five more runs during the second behind three hits and one Pioneer error to take a 7-0 advantage.
A triple by Finkelstein during the top of the fourth inning put LIU Post on the board and Mele added an RBI-single two batters later. The Pioneers were unable to push any more runs across until their final at-bat when Seader hit her team-leading eighth home run of the year but the early deficit was too much to overcome.
Game Two: LIU Post 8, Post 1
The tides changed early in game two as the Pioneers struck first when senior
Ashley Melendez grounded into a fielder's choice with the bases loaded. A two-run double by sophomore
Patricia Dun and a sacrifice fly by Seader capped off a four-run inning for LIU Post who took a 4-0 lead into the bottom of the stanza. The Eagles plated their lone run of the contest on a solo home run during their at-bat before four scoreless innings ensued.
The Pioneers tacked on four more runs during their final at-bat, highlighted by RBI-singles by Mele and Seader to help LIU Post bounce back with a victory to earn the split.
The Green and Gold are back in action tomorrow afternoon at the LIU Post Softball Complex when it hosts first-place University of Bridgeport in East Coast Conference play beginning at 2:00 p.m.