FAIRFIELD, CT. -- The LIU Brooklyn softball team started off Northeast Conference play with a doubleheader sweep at Sacred Heart (17-19, 3-3 NEC) in Fairfield, Conn. on Saturday. The Blackbirds (20-12), now on a five-game winning streak topped the Pioneers, 5-0 in game one and 2-1 in game two at Pioneer Park.
GAME 1: LIU 5, SHU 0
The Blackbirds broke through in the second inning, scoring the first run of the game on an infield hit by junior Katie Hinke to score pinch runner Emily Collins. Then in the third, with runners on second and third, sophomore Alina Castillo hit a sacrifice fly to left field to bring in freshman Camryn Lyman, who led off the inning with a single, to make it a 2-0 score. In the next at bat, freshman Samantha Garcia smacked the ball to deep left field, allowing senior Schae Dickson to round third and come home, but Garcia was tagged out at second base, trying to stretch the single into a double.
LIU scored again in the fourth inning when Hinkle reached on an infield single, stole second base and came around on a Patricia Griffin double to make the score 4-0. Then in the top of the seventh, Dickson slugged a double to right center field and came around to score for the final run of h
Sophomore Kiana Cisneros, Griffin and Hinkle each had a pair of hits in game one to lead the Backbirds.
Freshman Elena Valenzuela (10-3) was dominant in her NEC leading sixth complete game shutout of the season, allowing only five hits and no walks in 7.0 innings with two strikeouts, as she picked up her tenth win of the season.
SHU starter Shyanne Fennell (5-5), who went the first four innings, gave up the first four runs (all earned) in the loss. Kristen McCann came on for the final three innings, giving up one run for the Pioneers.
GAME 2: LIU 2, SHU 1
LIU scored the first run of the game in the second inning again when Patricia Griffin singled home Katie Hinkle from third base for an early 1-0 lead.
The Pioneers tied the game up at 1-1 on an Amy Petrovich RBI in the bottom of the third frame.
Still tied in the seventh, Hinkle led off the top half of inning with a triple down the right field line to put the lead run on third. Two batters later, Lyman blasted the ball up the middle for a single and her third game-winning hit of the season.
Sophomore Victoria Lowe (6-6) was in the circle for the Blackbirds, giving up five hits, two walks and one earned run in seven innings to get the complete gave victory.
Emily Orosco (4-4) made the start for the Pioneers, yielding seven hits and two earned runs in seven full innings in the pitcher's duel.
UP NEXT
The Blackbirds be right back on the road on Sunday, when they take on Fairleigh Dickinson () on Sunday (2:00 p.m.), in a makeup game from last Sunday's original opener at FDU which was rained out.