BROOKVILLE, N.Y. – The LIU softball team established their dominance Saturday at home, beating CCSU twice to move into first place in the Northeast Conference standings, and clinch a spot in the post season tournament. Liu beat the Blue Devils 3-2 in game one, and 9-6 in game two.
The Sharks, who are now 23-3 in league play, have mathematically been assured a berth to the NEC tournament May 12-15, and have won 15 straight games. CCSU, previous undefeated in the NEC, moves to 16-4 in league action.
GAME ONE
- In the first game of the day, CCSU got on the board first. The Blue Devils would score on a double and an RBI single, to take a 1-0 lead.
- LIU wouldn't get on the board until the bottom of the fourth. Catcher Samantha Garcia had the RBI single that would score Alina Castillo, and senior Kiana Cisneros also came home on the play, scoring on a throwing error to make it 2-1 LIU.
- A single CCSU home run in the top of the fifth would tie it up in the fifth, but the Sharks scored the go-ahead run in the next inning. Castillo had a leadoff walk, and advanced to third on a single by Cisneros. The speedy Cisneros would steal second, putting two runners in scoring position with no outs. An RBI groundout for freshman Dallas Andrews would bring one home, and LIU led, 3-2.
- CCSU got runners in scoring position in the top of the seventh, but LIU's defense would get the outs, clinching the 3-2 game one win.
- Senior Tallie Woodson got her 11th win of the season, pitching 7.0 innings with five strikeouts.
GAME TWO
- CCSU gave LIU all they could handle in game two, leading for most of the contest before the Sharks broke the game open in the fifth inning.
- The Blue Devils took a 2-0 lead on a two-run homer in the first. LIU got on the board on a run scored on an error in the bottom of the inning.
- The Sharks took the lead in the bottom of the second on a RBI single for senior Patricia Griffin. The senior then stole second, and would score on an error for the catcher to make it 3-2 LIU.
- In the fourth, the Blue Devils would score three runs on four hits and an error to take the 5-3 lead.
- But in the fifth, LIU answered in a big way. Cisneros had a two-RBI single to tie it up, 5-5, and then Andrews had another RBI single to bring her home. And senior Ryleigh Bermea continued her big-bat trend, hitting a home run over the left field fence that make it 8-5 for the home team.
- Senior Alina Castillo would add another run in the sixth with a RBI single, giving the Sharks a 9-5 advantage.
- CCSU would score an unearned run in the seventh to cut the lead down to 9-6, but pitcher Victoria Lowe would get two one-pitch groundouts to end the inning, clinching the win for the Sharks.
- Lowe (6-1) would get the win on the mound. Senior Haley Irvis had six strikeouts in the start.
Up next, LIU will complete their series with Bryant, taking the Bulldogs on in Rhode Island, Wednesday, April 28 in a rescheduled doubleheader at 12:30 p.m.
