BROOKHAVEN, N.Y. (Apr. 6, 2015) - The LIU Post softball team picked up a pair of victories over East Coast Conference rival Dowling, 10-1 and 11-4, at Golden Lions Field on Monday.
The opening contest saw a consistent green and gold offensive barrage, as junior designated player Paige Swantek (Smithtown, N.Y.) got things going early with a two-run blast to left-center in the top of the first.
LIU Post (13-6, 8-0 ECC) tacked on three more runs in the second frame to widen its cushion. A Samantha Miller (East Meadow, N.Y.) RBI single and a Maria Palmeri (Middle Village, N.Y.) two-RBI double made it a 5-0 game. Palmeri, who was 4-for-4 in the opener, added another RBI to her efforts in the fourth with a single that plated Mackenzie Buckley (St. James, N.Y.).
The visitors continued to pour it on in the fifth. The heart of the Pioneer order, Aly Dzierzynski (Deer Park, N.Y.), Swantek and Palmeri, all collected run-scoring hits to shut the door on Dowling (12-14-1, 4-7 ECC).
Sophomore hurler Ashley Martin (Long Beach, N.Y.) commanded the circle for LIU Post. She fanned five and yielded only one run in five innings of work. With the win, Martin now boasts a 7-1 mark in the 2015 campaign.
In the nightcap, the Pioneers again had a quick start. A Melissa Peet (Monroe, Conn.) two-run homer sparked a four-run second inning. Miller and Buckley later chipped in RBI singles.
Dowling fought back though and closed the gap to a one-run game (4-3), but LIU Post answered with two runs in the fourth to re-extend its lead.
The Pioneers would put the game away for good in the sixth. Holding a 6-4 advantage, the green and gold got an RBI double from Swantek and a pinch-hit two-run homer from Emily DeVito (Monroe, Conn.) to secure the victory. The blast by DeVito was her first collegiate round-tripper.
A combined pitching effort from senior Megan Salcido (Brawley, Calif.) and junior Isabella Corrao (Farmingdale, N.Y.) struck out four in 31 batters faced. Corrao was credited with the win, improving her 2015 record to 3-2.
Head Coach
Jamie Apicella and his LIU Post squad return to the field Tuesday (Apr. 7), when they face Caldwell in an East Region Championship re-match at the LIU Post Softball Complex. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.