The Pioneer Trail: Tuesday, Mar. 24, 2015

3/24/2015 10:24:00 AM

Softball vs. NYIT - 1 p.m.; 3 p.m.
After what has seemed like an eternity of weather delays, the softball gods have determined that the LIU Post softball team will finally get to host its Northern Boulevard rivals on Tuesday. Conditions at the LIU Post Softball Complex seem to favor a doubleheader between LIU Post and NYIT, which will serve as the conference opener for both teams, as well.

LIU Post (4-6) split its first two home contests with Southern Connecticut on Thursday (Mar. 19), with the Owls taking a 4-2 eight-inning affair in the first game of the day. The Pioneers would respond by winning the latter half of the doubleheader by a 10-0 mercy rule scoreline. In the first game, the green and gold jumped out to a two-run lead on the strength of an RBI single by sophomore outfielder Mackenzie Buckley (St. James, N.Y.) and a solo home run off the bat of sophomore infielder Melissa Peet (Monroe, Conn.). The Owls answered back with two-run home runs in the fourth and eighth inning off of second-year hurler Ashley Martin (Long Beach, N.Y.) to claim the victory. 

The Pioneers responded in the second game with a ten-run outburst and a little bit of history. Junior infielder Maria Palmeri (Middle Village, N.Y.) had a five-RBI outing, swatting a three-run home run in a five-run sixth inning that put LIU Post up 10-0. Peet had three hits in three plate appearances, including a run-scoring double and another solo homer, but the story of the game rested with the right arm of senior pitcher Megan Salcido (Brawley, Calif.). Salcido overcame three errors in the field and one walk to throw a six-inning no-hitter, striking out five Owls in the victory.

For LIU Post, senior outfielder Catherine Havens (Eastport, N.Y.) leads the team with a .387 batting average and a team-best 12 hits, including three triples. Peet has started her sophomore campaign in a strong manner, hitting .310 with three home runs and six runs batted in. Also performing well at the plate is junior designated player Paige Swantek (Smithtown, N.Y.), who currently sports a .310 average with four doubles and five RBIs. In the circle, Salcido boasts a 2-2 overall record with an impressive 1.47 earned run average. Martin is 2-1 on the season with a 3.12 ERA, but she is holding opposing batters to a team-low .245 batting average.

Meanwhile, NYIT (6-9) ended their Florida excursion with consecutive losses to Augustana (S.D.) and Wayne State last Wednesday (Mar. 18). The Bears were downed by Augustana in an 11-1 mercy rule game and fell to Wayne State by a 9-2 score. On the day, NYIT managed just five hits in the contests, and collected a total of 12 strikeouts in 50 at-bats. In the loss to Augustana, junior Kat Zabielski (Farmingdale, N.Y.) hit a run-scoring double for the lone offensive output of NYIT's outing. Against Wayne State, junior outfielder Christina Pantages (Whittier, Calif.) hit a two-run double for the Bears.

Leading NYIT's offense is junior infelder Tori Duquette (Irvine, Calif.), who has a .442 batting average in her first season in Old Westbury. Zabielski has a team-high two home runs and 19 RBIs, while Pantages is hitting .323 with 12 runs batted in. Junior hurler Lia Matz (Port Jervis, N.Y.) has the best record of the three pitchers on NYIT's staff, sporting a 2-1 mark with a 3.50 ERA.

Baseball at Mercy - 3 p.m.
Like softball, the LIU Post baseball team has had to overcome massive weather obstacles to get its season into high gear. Despite all of the delays, postponements and cancellations, the Pioneers have an opportunity to take three games from an East Coast Conference foe to start off their 2015 campaign, as they play the final contest in a four-game set today against Mercy in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.

LIU Post (4-5, 2-1 ECC) dropped the first game of a doubleheader to Mercy on Saturday (Mar. 21), losing by a 13-1 score. The Pioneers responded with a 5-4 victory over the Mavericks to split the day and take a 2-1 series lead. Sophomore southpaw starter James Long (Oceanside, N.Y.) was rocked in his six innings of work for nine runs on 12 hits, but only three runs were earned thanks to a couple of errors in the infield. Mercy (4-9, 1-2 ECC) claimed a dominant outing from sophomore pitcher Matt Nalbone (Islip, N.Y.) as he went eight innings, striking out 13 batters and scattering just six hits. LIU Post got a run off of Nalbone in the seventh, on a sacrifice fly from sophomore catcher Kyle Fagan (Wantagh, N.Y.).

In game two, timely hitting and clutch pitching from junior reliever Dillon Burke (Plainview, N.Y.) allowed LIU Post to take the one-run victory and push the series back to the favor of the green and gold. The Pioneers scored three runs in the first inning thanks to RBI singles from sophomore catcher Thomas Asbaty (Randolph, N.J.) and junior first baseman David Groeneveld (Centereach, N.Y.). Asbaty hit a sacrifice fly in the third inning to tie the game at 4 and in the sixth, Groeneveld would smack his first collegiate home run to give LIU Post the victory. In relief of graduate starter Connor McCarthy (Westbury, N.Y.), Burke pitched two innings of one-hit ball, picking up his second win on the year and lowering his earned-run average to 0.90.