CATHEDRAL CITY, CALIF. --- LIU Brooklyn Softball closed its time at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in dominating fashion with a 21-5 mercy-rule victory over Purdue Sunday afternoon.
The Blackbirds (5-8) put together their largest offensive output since March 18, 1995 when LIU put up 37 runs in the second game of a doubleheader at Delaware State. By contrast, LIU's 21-run performance was also the biggest that Purdue (2-12) has allowed in their history, exceeding the previous mark of 17 the Boilermakers allowed to Northwestern.
Alternating between multi-run and single-run innings, LIU put on its best display of consistency all season - a record-setting total that came without any home runs.
LIU wasted no time attacking Purdue by getting six runs across in the opening inning: a two-run double from Schae Dickson, an RBI single from Samantha Offenback, a bases loaded walk for Shelley Procter and a two-run single by Victoria Zamora.
Dickson hit a sacrifice fly in the second to give the Blackbirds a 7-1 lead and her teammates added eight more RBI in the third to increase the edge to 15-1. Zamora drove in the inning's first runs with a RBI single into right field and Nereyda Gutierrez (2 RBI single), Angie Vazquez (RBI single), Gina Bond and Offenback (2 RBI doubles) followed suit.
In the fourth inning, Angie Rizzi's left field RBI single increased LIU's lead to 16-3 before another big inning in the fifth (five runs) put the game away.
Overall, six Blackbirds recorded multi-hit games on the day, including three players with going 3-of-4. Dickson posted one of those stat lines and added a game-high four RBI on the day. Zamora and Offenback each drove in three runners while Gutierrez brought in a pair.
In the circle, Erynn Sobieski and Tallie Woodson each allowed two earned runs to manage the Boilermaker bats. Sobieski earned the victory after tossing two innings with only one walk
NEXT UP: LIU will head back to Florida next weekend for five games during the Stetson Hatter Classic from March 3-5.