Castillo’s Go-Ahead Single and Winslow’s Solid Pitching Helps LIU Softball to Split of Doubleheader at Seton Hall |
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4/7/05 -- Celina Castillo (Redwood City, Calif.) lined a go-ahead single in the sixth inning and fellow freshman Alyssa Winslow (San Jacinto, Calif.) made it stand with seven strong innings in the circle for Long Island, 4-2 winners over Seton Hall before a 6-0 loss in the second game at South Orange, N.J. The first game was tied, 2-2, entering the sixth when sophomore Randi Gillespie (San Jose, Calif.) -- the reigning Northeast Conference Player of the Week -- laced a two-out single up the middle. After sophomore Holly Erwin (Riverside, Calif.) was hit by a pitch, Castillo singled to left-center field that put the Blackbirds (7-22) ahead for good. LIU added an insurance run in the top of the seventh to close the scoring. Freshman Vanessa Mejia (Roanoke, Va.) reached on a fielding error by shortstop Katie Pierce and was sacrificed to second by her cousin, Krystal Mejia (Sylmar, Calif.). Two batters later, Vanessa Mejia scored when sophomore Jessie DePippo (Westlake Village, Calif.) singled through the right side. Seton Hall brought the winning run to the plate in the bottom of the seventh with two outs after Anne Leone singled and Pierce walked, but Winslow settled down to strike out pinch-hitter Danielle Steinseifzer. Winslow (2-0) gave the Blackbirds a major lift in her first collegiate start, striking out five and permitting two runs and five hits. She faced just eight batters above the minimum and allowed only two hits after the second inning. Castillo finished with three hits and two RBI in the opener. She added another hit in the nightcap and is batting .458 (11-for-24) during a seven-game hitting streak. Jessica Jones (2-3) gave up four runs -- two earned -- and 10 hits with four walks over seven innings for the Pirates (16-9). The Blackbirds in game two ran into the red-hot pitching of Megan Meyer (11-3), who struck out six and surrendered six hits over seven scoreless frames. She only allowed two hits after the fourth inning. Pierce, who went 3-for-3 in the opener, was 2-for-2 in game two with three RBI. Her two-run double in the fourth gave Seton Hall a 4-0 lead and Caitlin White added a run-scoring double later in the inning for a five-run cushion. Senior Briana Mathiesen (Sylmar, Calif.) collected two hits in the second game and is batting .471 (8-for-17) during a six-game hitting streak. Reno, Nev. senior Chelsea Crosby (2-12) gave up six runs and nine hits over six innings for the Blackbirds. LIU resumes NEC play Saturday at home with a doubleheader against Monmouth, beginning at 1:00 pm. |
