EMMITSBURG, Md. – The LIU Brooklyn softball team had a strong start to their Northeast Conference doubleheader Saturday afternoon, beating Mount St. Mary's, 11-2 in the first game of the day, but the home team would rally to take the second game, 5-4, and the Blackbirds came out of the day with a split. LIU moves to 16-25 overall this season, and 5-6 in the NEC.
 
BLACKBIRD BITS (Game One)

• Junior Patricia Griffin got the scoring started for LIU in the top of the first, with an RBI triple.
• Junior Evie Claussell gave the Blackbirds a 2-1 lead with her home run in the top of the second inning.
• The Blackbirds broke the game open in the top of the third. Senior Victoria Zamora would hit a double that brought two runs home, and then classmate Nereyda Gutierrez hit a homer over the left field fence that would widen the lead to 6-2. With two outs, sophomore Katie Hinkle would hit a long single to left field that would bring two more runners home, giving the Blackbirds an 8-2 advantage.
• LIU added insurance runs in the top of the fourth, on RBI singles from Gutierrez, senior Angie Vasquez, and freshman Alina Castillo, making it 11-2 LIU.
• Mount scored their two runs early in the game, on a wild pitch and an RBI single. Though the Mountaineers would get a runner in scoring position in the bottom of the fourth, they wouldn't score any more runs, and the game ended after five innings, with the Blackbirds on top, 11-2.
• Senior Erynn Sobieski had the complete-game win on the mound for LIU.
• Several Blackbirds had multiple hits in the win. Both Griffin and Zamora went 3-for-3 at the plate, while Gutierrez, Claussell and freshman Kiana Cisneros went 2-for-3. Senior Angie Vasquez and freshman Ryleigh Bermea were both 2-for-4 in the victory.

 
BLACKBIRD BITS (Game Two)

• The Blackbirds struck first in the second game of the day as well. Junior Evie Claussell got LI on the board with her two RBI double in the top of the second inning.
• Mount would answer in the bottom of the frame, scoring all five runs. Freshman Victoria Lowe came in to pitch partway through the frame, and would get the final two batters to strike out and end the inning.
• The Blackbirds added two runs in the top of the fourth. Vasquez would double to right center field to score one, and freshman Alina Castillo had a sacrifice fly that would score Bermea, cutting the lead to 5-4.
• But Mount's pitching would retire all three batters in the remaining innings, preventing the Blackbirds from getting a runner on base, and clinching the 5-4 win for the home team.
• Sobieski (8-11) had the loss on the mound. Lowe would pitch 4.2 innings against the Mountaineers, holding them to just four hits and no runs scored.

 
UP NEXT
The Blackbirds will host Rutgers for a midweek non-conference matchup, Wednesday, April 25 at 5:30 p.m.