Dominant Pitching Leads Blackbirds to Doubleheader Sweep of Monmouth; Extends Winning Streak to 16 |
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(boxscore
- Game One)
Giles scattered five hits and worked out of numerous jams to pick up her 14th victory of the season. Monmouth stranded eight runners on base in each of the contests thanks, in part, to some timely defense by the Blackbirds. After the Hawks left a runner on third in the first inning, it looked as though they would break through in the second as a two-out double by Candice Palumbo was followed by a single to left field by catcher Lisa DiLeo. Palumbo rounded third and headed for home on the play but a one-hop strike from freshman Chelsea Martinson (Agoura, Calif.) was just in time to keep the game scoreless. Monmouth again threatened in the third, as an error and a single put runners on first and third with one out. But Giles bore down and induced a ground ball out and following an intentional walk to MU’s Heather Gordon, was able to get another ground out to end the inning. In the bottom half of the inning, the Blackbirds were able to break through as freshman Brynn Lewis (Woodinville, Wash.) reached on an error with two outs. After a passed ball allowed Lewis to advance, Monmouth chose to intentionally walk senior Randi Gillespie (San Jose, Calif.) to put two on. Pinch hitter Holly Erwin (Riverside, Calif.) was summoned from the bench and came through with a double over the centerfielder's head that scored the only run of the game. Erwin entered the week without a hit but has three hits over the past two days. Giles allowed lead off doubles in each of the next two innings but was able to work through them both, using an effective off-speed pitch that caused Monmouth hitters to popup four times in two innings. Giles lowered her ERA to 1.76 with her fifth straight shutout. Kristine Sawlsville was the tough-luck loser in the first game, allowing only two hits and an unearned run over six innings. In the second contest, LIU put up a run in the first on a throwing error and plated three more in the second to take control. Junior Vanessa Mejia (Roanoke, Va.) ripped an RBI single up the middle to score the third run of the inning and give the Blackbirds a 4-0 lead. The four-run cushion allowed Porter to settle in after a rocky start in which she allowed three walks and a single over the first two frames. She was able to strike out the side in the third and struck out eight over seven innings. Jaime Jurewicz of Monmouth broke up Porter's shutout bid in the sixth with a solo home run, but Gillespie countered with a two-run shot of her own, her fifth of the season, giving LIU its final margin of victory. Gillespie saw her 17-game hitting streak come to a close in the first game and went 1-for-4 with two RBIs in the second. The Blackbirds look to continue their winning ways with a home doubleheader against NEC opponent Mount St. Mary's at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, April 22.
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4/21/07 --
Sophomore Jenny Giles (Melbourne, Fla.) extended her scoreless
innings streak to 35 and freshman Blaire Porter (Redmond, Wash.)
allowed only two hits in a complete-game victory as the Long
Island University softball team swept a doubleheader against
Northeast Conference opponent Monmouth, 1-0 and 6-1, and extended
its winning streak to 16 on Saturday afternoon.