MIAMI - Freshmen Evie Claussell and Schae Dickson recorded their first collegiate hits, both key two-run doubles, and sophomore Erynn Sobieski did the rest with a complete-game win in the circle as the LIU Brooklyn softball team picked up a 6-1 win over Valparaiso on Saturday.

The victory was the third straight to start the season for the Blackbirds, giving them their best start since head coach Roy Kortmann's first season in 1995. In the second game of the day, No. 10 Florida State jumped out to an early lead and defeated LIU, 12-0, in five innings.

After earning their first opening-day sweep since the 2008 season on Friday, the Blackbirds once again jumped out to an early lead in the first inning against Valpo. Senior Whitney West singled and eventually came around to score on a base hit from classmate Celinna Cosio. LIU threatened for more after sophomore Angie Vazquez singled with two outs, but both Cosio and Vazquez were left stranded as the inning ended.

The lead remained 1-0 until the third, when Cosio walked and senior Ariana Lopez singled to put a pair on with one out. Two batters later, Claussell drilled a double to left that scored the pair and pushed LIU on top, 3-0. Staked to a three-run cushion, Sobieski worked into and out of trouble in the top of the fourth. The Crusaders put a pair in scoring position with two outs, but the righthander induced a pop out to end the threat.

In the fifth inning, LIU Brooklyn padded its lead as sophomore Victoria Zamora led off with a four-pitch walk. Following a pitching change, Zamora moved all the way to third base on a wild pitch and an error allowed Lopez to reach to put runners on the corners. Vazquez came to the plate and drove home her former high school teammate with a single up the middle to give the Blackbirds a 4-0 cushion.

With two outs and runners on second and third, Dickson delivered the knockout blow with a two-run, two-base hit to the left-centerfield gap that made the score 6-0. From there, Sobieski once again bore down after loading the bases with nobody out in the sixth. The transfer from Albany allowed just one run in the frame, then worked a perfect 1-2-3 seventh to earn her first victory as a Blackbird.

Facing their stiffest competition of the early season, the Blackbirds had an early opportunity against the nationally-ranked Seminoles in the second game of the morning. West led the game off with a triple to left field, her 14th career three-base hit to place her one behind Ellen Bjorklund (1986-90) for third on LIU's career list.

But LIU Brooklyn could not capitalize on the chance, and FSU scored nine runs in the bottom half of the inning to take control. Dickson recorded her second double of the day in the fourth but was left in scoring position. The Seminoles scored three more in the fifth for the final margin.

The Blackbirds (3-1) will conclude play at the FIU Invitational on Sunday, Feb. 14 against the host school Florida International. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.