BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The LIU Brooklyn softball team beat Mount St. Mary's twice at home Saturday afternoon in front of a huge alumni crowd, 6-3 and 8-1. The Blackbirds have won eight of their last nine games, and move to 5-1 in Northeast Conference action with the wins. Sophomore Ryleigh Bermea was named the Lynn DeVivo Bao Player of the Game, as she led the Blackbirds with seven RBI.
 
 
Game One: LIU 6, MSM 3
In the first game of the day, Mount St. Mary's would go up early, scoring one run in the top of the first inning. But the Blakcbirds would answer in the bottom of the frame, scoring four runs with two outs on the board. After senior Schae Dickson reached on a fielder's choice, Alina Castillo walked, and Samantha Garcia was hit by a pitch to load the bases. The tying run was scored when Kiana Cisneros reached on a fielding error that kept the bases loaded. Bermea cleared the bases on her at bat, as she tripled off the right field fence to put the Blackbirds on top, 4-1.
 
Bermea would also add another run in the bottom of the third on an RBI single to put LIU up 5-1.
 
In the top of the fourth, Mount St. Mary's would score two more runs on a two-RBI double, but the Blackbirds answered in the bottom of the frame to negate the threat. After junior Katie Hinkle reached on an error, she was brought home on an RBI single from freshman Camryn Lyman, as the Blackbirds went up, 6-3.
 
From there, freshman pitcher Elena Valenzuela went to work, allowing just one hit for the rest of the game, and clinching the 6-3 win for LIU. Valenzuela got the win on the mound, improving to 12-3 this season.
 
Game Two: LIU 8, MSM 1
The second game of the day followed a similar pattern, as the Mount went up early, 1-0 in the top of the first inning, but LIU answered right away. In the bottom of the first frame, junior Patricia Griffin led off with a walk, and both Lyman and Dickson singled to load the bases. Two outs later, Cisneros came to the plate and reached on an error. The overthrow allowed three of the baserunners to score, and the Blackbirds led, 3-1 by the end of the frame.
 
LIU added a run in the bottom of the third, when Garcia had an RBI double, but the Blackbirds broke the game open in the bottom of the fifth frame. After Castillo led off with a double, and Garcia followed it up with a single, Cisneros would bring one run in with a single through the left side to make it 5-1. With two runners on, it was Bermea who made the big play of the day, hitting a bomb over the left field fence to clear the bases and put the Blackbirds on top, 8-1.
 
Sophomore pitcher Victoria Lowe took it from there, retiring the Mountaineers in two straight innings to clinch the win and series sweep for LIU. Lowe (7-7) took the win, holding Mount to just one run, while striking out four in seven innings on the mound.
 
Up next, the Blackbirds take on Stony Brook in a midweek matchup, Wednesday. April 17 on the road at 3 p.m.