April 19, 2009

Game One|Game Two

Old Westbury, N.Y. - The Adelphi University softball team won the nightcap, 9-0, after falling in the opening game, 4-3 against C.W. Post University on Sunday afternoon. With the split, the Panthers are 24-12, 8-4 in conference play and the Pioneers are 28-12, 12-2 in league action.

Game One
Junior Katie Fisher hit the game-winning RBI double to left field breaking a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the sixth inning, to give the Pioneers the victory, 4-3. Adelphi was leading 3-2 heading into the frame and C.W. Post scored two runs for the win. Senior Shannon Kulis RBI single tied the game at 3 and then one batter later Fisher's hit gave C.W. Post the lead. Adelphi got on the board scoring three runs in the top of the first inning. Leading 1-0 on a RBI single by senior Jessica Vogt, senior Kristin Brennan cleared the bases smacking a two-RBI single to left field to give Adelphi a 3-0 lead. The Pioneers climbed their way closer as they connected for two runs in the bottom of the frame. A miscue by the Panthers, allowed Fisher and junior Melissa Medina to cross the plate and trim Adelphi's lead to 1, 3-2. There was no scoring the next five and a half innings as both starting pitchers, sophomore Christina Berardi and junior Christine Robinson kept the opposition at bay.

Seniors Samantha Johnston and Katie Brophy both went 2-for-3 to lead Adelphi and Robinson took the hard loss despite allowing one earned run.

Game 2
The Panthers went deep four times and pounded for 15 hits en route to a 9-0 victory over the Pioneers. Adelphi got the motor rolling in the top of the second inning with two outs as seniors Brennan and Christina O'Hara hit back-to-back homers to left field to put Adelphi in front 2-0. In the top of the third inning, junior Rochelle Noren doubled to right field and with one out and Noren on second, Vogt went yard extending the Panthers lead to 4-0. Vogt finished the game 2-for-4 with 2 RBI's.

The Pioneers threatened to score in the bottom of the fifth inning trailing, 5-0. Senior Megan Correia singled up the middle to lead off the frame. Sophomore Leighann Bell induced freshman Kristen Morcone into a fielder's choice. Freshman Krysta Palazzo pinch-ran for Morcone and with one out, junior Amanda Aiello hit a sharp liner to third that was caught by senior Diana DiPiano and caught Palazzo napping off of first as she threw the ball to O'Hara to complete the inning ending double play.

Adelphi capitalized on C.W. Post's inability to score the very next frame as Samantha Johnston hit the final Panthers home run in the top of the sixth inning to put the game out of reach, 7-0. Brophy singled to center field to start the half inning and one batter later, Johnston blasted the ball to center field for a two-run shot. Johnston went 2-for-5 with 3 RBI's. Sophomore Stephanie Byster and Brophy combined for six of Adelphi's 15 hits in the contest with 2 RBI's.

Bell had a brilliant pitching performance as she threw a complete game shutout, walking one, and allowed five hits.

The Panthers return to action on Tuesday, April 21 in their senior farewell when they face Concordia College in a doubleheader starting at 3:00 p.m.