BROOKVILLE, N.Y. – Junior Allie Laird blasted her first career home run as part of a four-hit afternoon to lead the LIU Post softball team to a sweep of the University of New Haven at the LIU Softball Complex on Sunday, March 17.
 
Laird finished 4-for-6 at the plate with two doubles and the homer, adding two runs scored and two runs batted in on the day. Junior Abbey Fortin finished 2-for-4, reaching base safely five times and also launched a home run as part of a four-RBI day. Sophomore Breanna Klaiber added three hits in seven at-bats, driving home two runs.
 
In the circle, senior Hannah Olshevski went the distance in game two, allowing just one run to earn her third win of the season and junior Katie Humhej picked up her sixth victory of the season after allowing just three runs during game one.
 
Game One: LIU Post 4, New Haven 3
 
New Haven jumped on the board first when Mel Bike lifted a wind-aided home run over the fence in right field on a 3-2 pitch to put the Chargers ahead 1-0. Humhej settled in and retired the next three batters in order to get out of the inning and stranded two runners on base during the third inning to keep it a one-run game.
 
After a groundout to begin the bottom half of the third frame, Laird doubled to left-center field and Seader poked a single through the left side to move Laird to third base. Fortin followed suit by placing a single through the opposite side of the infield to score Laird and level the scoring, 1-1. Two innings later, New Haven responded with a two-out single by Mya Case to retake the lead, 2-1.
 
The lead did not last long though as Seader roped a leadoff double to center field during the bottom of the third. Fortin lifted a long home run to center field during the next at-bat to give the Pioneers a 3-2 lead, but once again the lead would not remain for long. New Haven's Jovanna Hillman led off the top of the sixth with a solo home run to left-center field to erase the Chargers'. Humhej stranded a runner in scoring position to end the inning with the score tied.  
 
Senior Leah Mele found the left-center field gap to lead off the bottom of the stanza to put the tying run in scoring position for the Green and Gold. An infield single by freshman Jayna Rios brought Laird to the plate at the top of the lineup. Laird attempted to lay down a sacrifice bunt and Mele beat out a throw to third base to load the bases with no outs. Two batters later, Fortin flied out down the right-field line and Mele tagged up and scored from third to give LIU Post the final lead change of the day, 4-3. Humhej set the Chargers down in order to close out the opener, giving LIU Post the win.
 
Game Two: LIU Post 5, New Haven 1
 
Despite striking out just two batters on the day, Olshevski did an excellent job of keeping hitters off balance and did not allow New Haven to threaten offensively. After a scoreless top half of the first, LIU Post loaded the bases with two outs and junior Megan Sneeden singled through the right side of the infield to give the Pioneers a 1-0 lead.
 
Klaiber added to the Pioneer lead the next inning when she doubled to left-center field with two outs and the bases loaded, scoring two runs to put LIU Post ahead 3-0 after two frames. New Haven got one run during the top of the fourth, but Laird responded with a no-doubt home run to the left field bleachers for her first career long ball during the bottom half of the stanza. Laird capped off the scoring with a double off the top of the right-center field wall during the sixth inning to drive home Rios to give LIU Post the 5-1 final score.
 
The Pioneers return to the diamond on Tuesday, March 19 in the Elm City when they take on Southern Connecticut State University in non-conference play at 2:30 p.m. before three home doubleheaders over the weekend.