Softball Splits at Saint Francis (Pa.)

(boxscore - Game 1)
(boxscore - Game 2)

4/29/07 -- Senior Randi Gillespie (San Jose, Calif.) hit her team-leading seventh home run of the season to account for the only run of the game as the Long Island University softball team salvaged a split of a Northeast Conference doubleheader at Saint Francis (Pa.) with a 1-0 win in the second game on Sunday.

In the first game, the Blackbirds led 5-0 going into the bottom of the fifth but the Red Flash tallied a run in the fifth, three more in the sixth and then took advantage of a throwing error by LIU to score the tying and game-winning runs in the seventh.

After a walk to the first batter of the seventh inning, an attempted sacrifice bunt was fielded by second baseman Celina Castillo (Bay Area, Calif.). Her throw was wide of first base and with a drawn-in outfield, the ball went all the way to the wall and allowed both of the runners to score for the Red Flash in the 6-5, comeback win.

Gillespie’s solo home run in the third inning of game two gave Long Island a 1-0 lead but Saint Francis fought back and threatened to score in the seventh. With runners on first and second and one out, Hilary McNelis hit a hard ground ball to second base. Freshman Raylene Asman (Escondido, Calif.) backhanded the ball, flipped to Castillo, who fired to Gillespie for the 4-6-3, game-ending double play.

Sophomore Jenny Giles (Melbourne, Fla.) bounced back from the game one loss to record her first save of the season as she pitched a scoreless seventh frame.