SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – With a 6-2 triumph in game one of a sweep of American International College, LIU Post softball head coach
Jamie Apicella became the 34th member of the 800-win club across all three divisions on Friday, April 5.
Apicella, LIU Post's all-time winningest coach, becomes just one of 16 active coaches with 800 or more victories with the win. Entering the season, he ranked 14th among active coaches in winning percentage and 21st all-time in winning percentage. With the 26-6 mark this season, Apicella's winning percentage for his career has risen .708 (801-331).
Helping to lead the Pioneers to the historic victory were junior
Abbey Fortin and senior
Julia Seader who combined for eight hits with three doubles, one home run, and nine runs batted in. Sophomore
Patricia Dun added three hits and three runs scored as eight of the nine Pioneer starters recorded at least one hit for the second-consecutive day.
In the circle, senior
Hannah Olshevski allowed just one earned run during a complete-game victory, while junior
Katie Humhej scattered nine hits and allowed two earned runs to pick up a victory of her own.
Game One: LIU Post 6, AIC 2
The Yellow Jackets jumped ahead early with an RBI-single during the bottom of the first before the Pioneers rallied midway through the contest. A one-out double by Seader led to an RBI-single by sophomore
Hanna Finkelstein to level the scoring at 1-1. An inning later, the Pioneers earned two walks and after a sacrifice bunt by junior
Allie Laird, Seader roped a double to right-center field to plate two more runs, giving the Pioneers a 3-1 lead.
American International got one run back during the bottom half of the inning before Humhej kept the Yellow Jackets off the board the rest of the way. Humhej allowed just one base runner over the final three innings and Seader provided another two-RBI single and Fortin provided a sacrifice fly to help Apicella reach the historic milestone.
Game Two: LIU Post 9, AIC 2
LIU Post threatened during the top of the first as Seader lined a double down the right-field line but was thrown out at the plate on a single by Fortin. The Yellow Jackets also looked to strike early, though Olshevski stranded a runner at third base to end the threat.
During the second inning, Finkelstein led off with a single through the left side of the infield and moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. A throwing error by American International allowed Finkelstein to score and Fortin eventually capped off a six-run inning with a grand slam to straight-away center field to put the Green and Gold in complete control.
The Yellow Jackets scored one unearned run during the second inning to get on the board. Olshevski stranded another runner in scoring position to end the inning and set the home team down in order during the third stanza. An infield single by Laird allowed Dun to score from third base and the Pioneers tacked on two insurance runs during the top of the fifth inning to earn the 9-2 victory.
LIU Post returns to East Coast Conference play on Sunday, April 7 when it takes on Molloy College on the road beginning at 3:00 p.m.