ROCK HILL, S.C. — Kira Buckner capped her weekend with a historic performance for the LIU softball team.
Buckner struck out 11 straight batters at one point en route to a one-hit shutout against Fordham in Game 1 on Sunday.
LIU beat the Rams 3-0, then completed a banner day with an 8-5 win against Harvard.
The Sharks won four of five games during their trip to the Winthrop-hosted Garnet & Gold Tournament.
Buckner's 11 consecutive strikeouts were a program record. And LIU coach
Roy Kortmann could not recall if there had ever been a previous 13-strikeout performance in a seven-inning game in the school's Division I history.
"Kira was absolutely brilliant," Kortmann said. "It was the kind of game you just watch in awe — one of the best pitching performances we have ever had here."
In the win against Fordham,
Gabby Padilla got LIU on the scoreboard with a second-inning RBI double and the Sharks never looked back.
In Game 2,
Camryn Lyman and
Mari Narvaiz homered. And after a late Saturday night in the circle,
Lindsey Cowans handled the final five innings to pull out the win against Harvard.
The Sharks (6-9) have a brief return to campus before heading to Madeira Beach, Fla., for the 10-game Spring Games beginning Friday against UAlbany and Yale.
