Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

ORLANDO, Fla. – The Long Island University softball team split the first day of the UCF Invitational Friday, beating Columbia in the weekend opener, 4-1, before falling to the host Knights, 9-1.
 
LIU vs. Columbia
In the first game of the day, the Sharks would get on the board in the bottom of the third inning. An error and two walks would load the bases, and sophomore Samantha Garcia brought the first run in when she was hit by a pitch. With the bases loaded and one out, senior Patricia Griffin came to the plate next, and singled up the middle to make it 2-0 for LIU. Junior Kiana Cisneros would score next, when freshman Maya Avila brought her home on a sac fly, giving the Sharks the 3-0 advantage.
 
Columbia would score an unearned run in the top of the sixth to make it 3-1, but the Sharks would add an insurance run in the bottom of the inning. With two outs, junior Alina Castillo singled, and came home on the next at bat, when sophomore Camryn Lyman doubled to left center field. With the 4-1 lead, LIU was able to keep the Lions from scoring in the top of the seventh, clinching the win over their Ivy League opponents.

Griffin led the team offensively, going 3-for-3 at the plate with a stolen base and an RBI, while Castillo was 1-for-3 with two runs scored.

Sophomore Elena Valenzuela (2-6) had the win on the mound for the Sharks. She pitched a complete game, giving up just one unearned run on four hits, while striking out three.
 
LIU vs. UCF
In the second game of the day, LIU took on the host Knights, who are 14-2 so far this season. The home team got the scoring started right away, scoring a run on three hits in the first. They would add three more in the bottom of the second, to widen the gap.

The Sharks got on the board in the top of the fourth inning. Lyman led off with a single, and advanced to second on a wild pitch. She came home on an RBI double from sophomore Samantha Garcia, and LIU cut the gap to 5-1.
 
But the Knights would add four more runs in the bottom of the fifth, going up 9-1 to take the win and end the game on a run rule. Senior Tallie Woodson (2-3) had the loss on the mound, while sophomore Zoe Estoppey pitched in relief for the Sharks.
 
Up next, LIU takes on Ball State and Longwood in day two of the UCF Invitational, Saturday, February 29 at 1:30 and 3:30 p.m.