Hagenah Muscles No. 22 Softball Past STAC; 6-3, 14-4
Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (Apr. 3, 2014) - Senior shortstop
Nicole Hagenah (Commack, N.Y.) nearly hit for the cycle in both ends of the No. 22 LIU Post softball team's sweep of East Coast Conference foe St. Thomas Aquinas on Thursday at the LIU Post Softball Complex in Brookville, N.Y.
The Pioneers (19-3, 6-0 ECC) took the first game by a score of 6-3, before exploding for a five-inning, 14-4 rout of the Spartans (2-16, 1-7 ECC) in the nightcap.
The visitors struck first in the opener when ToniAnn Groth grounded out to knock in Julie Sosnicki. The lead did not last long as Hagenah blasted a two-run homer over the fence in right-center in the bottom half of the frame.
The Pioneers added another four runs in the third inning. Hagenah got things started with a one-out triple to right-center. Sophomore designated player
Paige Swantek (Smithtown, N.Y.) followed with a single through the left side to plate Hagenah, and in the very next at-bat, junior catcher
Aly Dzierzynski (Deer Park, N.Y.) cleared the bleachers in left for her seventh roundtripper of the season. Two batters later, freshman
Melissa Peet (Monroe, Conn.) lifted her first collegiate homerun over the right-center field fence.
St. Thomas Aquinas added a run in each of the fifth and seventh innings, but it was not enough as LIU Post closed out the 6-3 win.
Senior
Liz Weber (Brightwaters, N.Y.) got the win in the circle, her 10th of the season. She tossed four and one-thirds inning, giving up just two runs (one earned) on three hits and five walks. Junior
Megan Salcido (Brawley, Calif.) came in with one out in the fifth inning to secure the victory, allowing one run on four hits.
Hagenah was a single shy of the cycle as she swatted a home run, triple, and double in consecutive at-bats.
The second game was a different story as the Pioneer bats exploded for 10 runs in the bottom of the first inning. After retiring the first two batters of the inning, the Spartans' Samantha McDonald walked and surrendered a single, giving the Pioneers second and third with two outs. Swantek hit a ground ball to the third baseman, who subsequently overthrew first allowing both Hagenah and senior center fielder
Alexis Gonzalez (Hauppauge, N.Y.) to score.
Shortly thereafter, another walk gave the home squad another two baserunners, setting up sophomore third baseman
Maria Palmeri (Middle Village, N.Y.) for a two-RBI triple through the right side. RBIs by sophomore right fielder
Samantha Miller (East Meadow, N.Y.) and freshman first baseman
Kayla McCoy (Smithtown, N.Y.) brought the lead to 6-0, before Gonzalez came to the plate for the second time in the inning. She took full advantage of the bases loaded situation and pummeled the ball to right-center for the grand slam.
In the third, both sides scored four runs in their halves of the frame. Hagenah was once again in the thick of things for the Pioneers as she tripled to left-center, knocking in McCoy and Gonzalez. Swantek followed the triple with an RBI double, and Dzierzynski reached on a Spartan miscue in center that allowed Swantek to come around for LIU Post's 14th run of the game.
Freshman
Ashley Martin (Long Beach, N.Y.) continued the hot start to her collegiate career as she picked up her eighth win in as many starts.
Hagenah was a perfect 3-for-3 in Game Two as she drilled a single, double, and triple, while totaling two RBIs and two runs scored. Gonzalez was also perfect, going 2-for-2 with a grand slam, a walk, four RBIs and three runs scored.
Next up for the Pioneers is a road twinbill at ECC opponent Queens on Saturday (Apr. 5). First pitch is scheduled for noon.