BROOKLYN, N.Y. - LIU Brooklyn graduate student Lauren Morizi and senior Nicole Archer were named Northeast Conference Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, by the league on Monday. The duo helped the Blackbirds to a pair of 5-4 victories over Central Connecticut this past weekend to earn the program's 28th NEC Tournament berth.

Morizi went 1-for-3 at the plate with a double and a run batted in in the first game of the twinbill and made a number of diving stops, including a heads-up defensive play to end the game. The San Diego native retrieved a ball that tipped off the glove of third baseman and stepped on third base just in time to get the force out in a bases-loaded situation to seal the game one win.

In the second game of the day, Morizi smacked a solo home run in the third to tie the game at 1-1, then unloaded her second home run of the day and of the season, a three-run blast that catapulted the Blackbirds on top, 4-3. Overall, Morizi went 5-for-11 with two doubles, two home runs and five RBIs over four games this past week and extended her hitting streak to 10 games.
 
Archer won both ends of a doubleheader on Saturday with a pair of gutsy performances against CCSU, which entered the weekend with just two losses in NEC play and tied for the league lead. She posted 10 strikeouts over 11.2 innings of work and improved her record to 5-1 in NEC play. The righthander took a no-hitter into the fifth inning in LIU's first 5-4 win of the doubleheader, and went toe-to-toe with the reigning NEC Pitcher of the Year to help the Blackbirds secure a berth in the upcoming NEC Tournament.

LIU Brooklyn will take on top-seeded Robert Morris on the opening day of the Northeast Conference Tournament on Thursday, May 7 in Moon Township, Pa. Game time has yet to be determined.