LONGWOOD, Fla.— The Long Island University softball team continued the 2020 Spring Games on Saturday earning the first twin bill sweep of the season. The Sharks opened the day by winning in walk-off fashion with a 3-2 victory over Saint Louis before using a big fifth inning to defeat Bethune-Cookman, 9-1 in game two.
Game 1 - LIU 3, Saint Louis 2
The Billikens opened the scoring in the top half of the second inning on a two-out single up the middle for the 1-0 advantage.
LIU got on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning. Freshman
Maya Avila started the inning off with a double to right center field. Two batters later, junior
Ciara Granado lined a single to center field that was mishandled by the centerfielder allowing Avila to score from second to tie the game. Sophomore
Angelina Reno gave the Sharks the lead later in the frame with a two-out RBI single to right center field for the 2-1 lead.
Both teams threatened with runners in scoring position in each of the next two innings but were unable to capitalize. Saint Louis got a lead-off double to start the seventh inning and would score the tying run two batters later on a single through the right side.
In the bottom half of the seventh inning, LIU used patience at the plate with back-to-back walks by Aliva and junior
Kiana Cisneros to open the inning. A sacrifice bunt advanced both runners into scoring position. Sophomore
Camryn Lyman stepped up to the plate and delivered the game-winning hit on an RBI single up the middle for the walk-off win, 3-2.
Sophomore
Elena Valenzuela earn the win in the complete game effort, scattering nine hits and giving up two earned runs. Offensively, LIU recorded 10 hits against the Billikens. Granado and Lyman led the Sharks with two hits apiece.
Game 2 - LIU 9, Bethune Cookman 1
The Sharks carried that momentum over into the start of the second game of the day. Junior
Alina Castillo led off the bottom of the first inning with a hit by pitch. She later advanced to third on two wild pitches. Senior
Patricia Griffin drove her in with a sacrifice fly to left field for the 1-0 Sharks lead.
After going down in order the first two innings, Bethune Cookman used two-out hitting to get runners on the corners in the top of the third. A bloop RBI single in the infield by the Wildcats tied the game up at 1-1.
The top of the order for LIU responded in the next half inning as Castillo and Griffin picked up back-to-back singles. After a groundout moved both runners up, Avila hit a hard ground ball to second base. The throw to the plate wasn't in time allowing Castillo to score, giving LIU the 2-1 advantage.
Junior
Tallie Woodson retired the Bethune Cookman lineup in order the next two innings.
LIU opened the bottom half of the fifth inning with three straight walks to load the bases. Sophomore
Samantha Garcia picked up the RBI walk to start the scoring for the frame. In the next at-bat, Avila lined a double to the gap in right center, picking up three RBI on the play. The Sharks drew two-more walks to load the bases once more. Sophomore
Kelsey Day cleared the bases with a three RBI double to right center, giving LIU the 9-1 run rule victory.
Woodson surrendered just four hits and struck out two in five innings of work. Avila led the LIU offense, going 2-for-3 with four RBI.
Up next, LIU closes out the first weekend at the Spring Games on Sunday, March 8 at 11:30 a.m. against North Carolina A&T.
