BROOKLYN, N.Y. — The LIU softball team hosted Wagner on Wednesday afternoon for the series finale. 

The Sharks jumped out to an early 1-0 lead on an Emma Niece sacrifice fly and in the next at bat, Alexia Castro crushed a two-run home run to left center to put the Sharks up three. Lindsey Cowans would keep the Wagner bats quiet in the second and LIU struck again on a Gabby Padilla RBI single to stretch the lead to four.  Cowans continued to be dominant and Alyssa Polemeni drove in the Sharks' fifth run in the fifth inning. 

Late in the game, Wagner started to gain momentum. The Seahawks scored to cut the lead to 5-1 and had the bases loaded with nobody out in the top of the seventh. Hit the tying run at the plate, the Wagner batter ripped a line drive to third but Gabby Padilla snagged it, stepped on third for the force out then fired the ball to first for a game-ending triple play. 

Cowans earned her 16th victory of the season and Alyssa O'Donnell earned her first save. 

Dallas Andrews went 1-3 with a run scored, Lily Hinkle went 2-3 with a double and scored three runs, Padilla went 2-2 with a double and Alexia Castro went 2-3. 

The Sharks return to the field Saturday when they travel to Merrimack for the first two games of a three game series.