SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The LIU Brooklyn softball team split with Bryant Saturday, winning the first game, 9-8, before falling in game two, 5-1. With the split, the Blackbirds move to 13-18 overall this season, and 2-1 in Northeast Conference action.
 
GAME ONE
In the first game of the day, LIU jumped out to an early lead, and then scored enough runs to hold off a surging Bulldog squad. The Blackbirds got on the board in emphatic fashion in the top of the first inning. With one out, freshman Kiana Cisneros had a single, and junior Patricia Griffin followed that up with a double to center field. With two runners and two outs, senior Nereyda Gutierrez came to the plate, and belted a three-run home run over the center field fence to put LIU on top, 3-0.
 
Bryant would score an unearned run in the bottom of the frame, but then neither team would score until the fifth frame. The Bulldogs tied it up in the bottom of the inning, scoring two runs on an RBI double, 3-3. But with two runners on and just one out, the next Bryant batter came to the plate and hit a home run to left field that put the home team on top for the first time, 6-3.
 
LIU would answer emphatically in the next inning, scoring six runs to take the lead. Katie Hinkle led off with a single, and another single from Griffin put two on with just one out. Senior Victoria Zamora would bring one run in with her single to left field, and then Gutierrez would load the bases with a single of her own. Freshman Ryleigh Bermea would come through in the clutch, singling up the middle to score two runs and tie it up, 6-6, but the scoring didn't stop there. After a batter was walked to re-load the bases, Schae Dickson reached on a fielder's choice. But a fielding error by Bryant allowed a run to score anyway, and LIU took the lead, 7-6. Another error two batters later would allow two more runs to score, and the Blackbirds came out of the inning up, 9-6.
 
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Bryant would hit two home runs to cut the lead to just one, 9-8, but pitcher Erynn Sobieski would earn the save by getting two of the next three batters to strike out, clinching the win for LIU. Sophomore Haley Irvis had the win on the mound for the Blackbirds, her fourth of the season.
 
GAME TWO
In the second game of the day, this time it was Bryant who would get the early head start, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first inning. The home team added two more in the bottom of the third to go up, 5-0. From there, it was a pitcher's duel, as neither team had a runner reach base for the next three innings.
 
LIU was able to get on the board in the bottom of the sixth, when Bermea had an RBI single with the bases loaded to make it 5-1. But the Blackbirds would strand two runners as the inning came to a close. LIU would also get a runner in scoring position in the top of the seventh, but couldn't come back from the deficit, and dropped game two, 5-1. Sobieski had the loss on the mound for the Blackbirds, despite notching seven strikeouts.
 
Up next, the Blackbirds take on CCSU in a road doubleheader Sunday, facing off against the Blue Devils beginning at 12 p.m.