Moon Township, Pa. – A red-hot LIU Brooklyn squad struck early and often in taking the opening game of the Northeast Conference Tournament from the
Robert Morris University softball team on a warm Thursday at the North Athletic Complex.
The Blackbirds claimed an 11-2 victory in five innings to advance to the winner's bracket final.
Junior
Lauren Hackett provided a bright spot for the Colonials by going 2-for-2 with a double, a RBI and a run scored. The seventh multi-hit effort of her career gave her 50 base hits in her career while the two-bagger was her third of the season and the 12th of her career.
Sophomore
Jordan Gurganus tallied a single in the fifth inning. In doing so, she became the seventh Colonial in program history to reach 60 hits in a season.
LIU Brooklyn would strike right away in the top of the first as it took advantage of a fielder's choice on which the Colonials unsuccessfully tried to force the lead runner. A trio of singles and a walk helped LIU plate a pair.
RMU had a runner reach second via a Blackbird miscue in the bottom half, but it could not take advantage.
After LIU added a solo homer in the second inning, the Colonials would score twice in the bottom half to pull within one. Senior
Alexis Schwartzmiller started things with a one-out double down the left field line. With two outs, Hackett shot the gap in left center for a RBI double before sophomore
Stacey Capp singled to right center to bring home Hackett.
A two-out double by LIU accounted for the game's only baserunner in the third inning.
The Blackbirds broke the game open in the fourth by scoring five times on six hits.
Junior
Haileigh Stocks tried to start a RMU rally in the home half as she knocked a single to left. After one out, senior
Samantha Santillo and Hackett both singled to center to load the bases, but the hosts then hit into an inning-ending double play.
LIU added a trio of tallies in the fifth on two hits and a Colonial miscue. Gurganus singled to lead off the home half, but the next three batters were retired to conclude the league's postseason opener.
Schwartzmiller contributed her eighth double of the season, the 15th of her career, while Santillo became the ninth Colonial in program history to appear in 180 games by competing Thursday.
RMU will look to extend its season in an elimination game Friday against Fairleigh Dickinson at 1:00 p.m.
