(boxscore
- Wagner - Game 1)
(boxscore - Wagner - Game 2)
 5/12/07 --
Game 2 -- Top-seeded Long Island stifled
second-seeded Wagner, 10-0 in six innings, to claim the 2007
Northeast Conference
Softball Championship on Saturday afternoon in Teaneck, NJ.
The Blackbirds earn the NEC’s automatic NCAA bid with
the win.
LIU sophomore Jenny Giles (Melbourne, FL/Eau Gallie), the Tournament
MVP, pitched her second shutout of the weekend, scattering
four hits. Giles was in control much of the game, as Wagner’s
only serious scoring chance came in the fourth inning.
The Seahawks got consecutive singles from freshman Kate Eshelman
(Reno, NV/McQueen) and junior Katie Stevens (Reno, NV/Wooster)
to open the inning. After a pair of groundouts, senior Joy
Gallagher (Hazleton, PA/Hazleton) drew a walk to load the bases,
but Giles got out of the jam with an inning-ending groundout.
Two runs in the first inning gave Long Island the early advantage,
as all-tournament team member Celina Castillo (Bay Area, CA/Carlmont)
brought home the first run with a double to left center. Fellow
all-tournament team member Vanessa Mejia (Roanoke, VA/Los Angeles
Valley College) followed with an RBI single to put the Blackbirds
up 2-0.
Senior hurler Morgan Miller (Las Vegas, NV/Silverado), who
was also named to the all-tournament team, kept LIU scoreless
for the next two innings before running into trouble in the
fourth. A three-run home run by sophomore Renae Beauchman (Eagle
Rock, CA/Belmont) put Long Island up 5-0, and NEC Player of
the Year Randi Gillespie (San Jose, CA/West Valley CC) followed
with a solo shot for her ninth home run of the year.
A run in the fifth and three more in the sixth gave Long Island
the final margin of victory.
Miller joined Eshelman and sophomore Andrea Lazzari (Reno,
NV/Wooster) on the all-tournament team along with Monmouth
senior Heather Gordon (Hatboro, PA/Mount St. Joseph’s),
Monmouth sophomore Kristine Sawlsville (Wyomissing, PA/Wilson)
and Quinnipiac senior Maria Browne (Park Ridge, NJ/Park Ridge).
The Blackbirds will advance to the NCAA Tournament against
an opponent to be announced on ESPNews on Sunday, May 13 between
3:00 and 4:00 p.m.
Game 1 -- Second-seeded Wagner
scored six runs over the final three innings to defeat top-seeded
Long Island, 8-6, and force a rematch for the Northeast Conference
Softball Championship on Saturday afternoon.
The Seahawks came out swinging to start the game, loading the
bases on a pair of singles and a fielding error with just one
out. The Blackbirds managed to avoid any damage, as freshman
Blaire Porter (Redmond, WA/Redmond) fanned two batters to end
the threat.
Long Island struck in the bottom of the first after junior
Celina Castillo (Bay Area, CA/Carlmont) singled and came around
to score on a double by junior Vanessa Mejia (Roanoke, VA/Los
Angeles Valley College) to take a 1-0 lead.
Wagner staged a two-out rally in the top of the third to take
a 2-1 lead. After the first two batters were retired, the Seahawks
drew a walk and singled to put runners on first and second.
Junior Victoria Batistelli (Huntington Beach, CA/Huntington
Beach) singled home the first run. A wild pitch plated sophomore
Andrea Lazzari (Reno, NV/Wooster) to give Wagner the lead.
The Seahawks scored two runs in the fifth on a two-run homer
by Batistelli and then tacked on two more in the sixth on a
single by Lazzari to make it 6-1.
The Blackbirds mounted a comeback in the bottom of the sixth
after Castillo and Mejia led off with a pair of singles. Following
a fielder’s choice, junior Jessie DePippo (Westlake Village,
CA/Agoura) singled to drive in one run and make it 6-2. Freshman
Mariesha Marker (Keizer, OR/McNary) got LIU within a run at
6-5, with a three-run homer over the right field fence.
Wagner added two runs in the top of the seventh as insurance.
Junior Margaret Gallia (Las Vegas, NV/Community College) delivered
a pinch-hit double to plate senior Christina Hopkins (Edison,
NJ/Edison) with two outs, making it 7-5. The Seahawks loaded
the bases with a walk and an infield single, before a wild
pitch pushed home an insurance run for an 8-5 lead.
The Blackbirds tried to rally in the last half of the seventh
after junior Brittany Murphy (Los Alamitos, CA/Los Alamitos)
doubled and Castillo walked. After two outs, a throwing error
pushed Castillo across to make it 8-6, but Wagner senior Morgan
Miller (Las Vegas, NV/Silverado) struck out Marker to end LIU’s
comeback.
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