Blackbirds Diamond Diary is an exclusive feature written by softball players Randi Gillespie and Holly Erwin, who are both seniors on the Blackbirds' softball team. Diamond Diary will give fans an inside look at the team and the life of a student-athlete. Randi, the reigning Northeast Conference Player of the Year, and Holly, a returning infielder, will take turns writing the Diamond Diary periodically for the duration of the softball season.

Friday, April 27

We are four games away from finishing our regular season and our days as Blackbird softball players are coming to a close. We started conference play with a nail-biting, come-back victory over Wagner and swept for an important 2-0 start. Conference is flying by, even with all of the crazy weather days. We have had solid pitching performances, outstanding defense, and red-hot bats. We recently tied the school record with a winning streak of 18 games. Unfortunately, Hofstra broke our hot streak, beating us 4-0. but the game could have gone either way. We took the loss, threw it behind us and were eager to get back into conference play, looking forward to starting another winning streak. Thursday was our senior day, hosting a rival of four years, Quinnipiac. It was by far one of the most emotional days for us both, just thinking that was our last time playing on the Blackbirds'
diamond. After a tough split, we were given good news that we made playoffs for the fourth consecutive year. With that in mind, we can't wait to finish up regular season, graduate and have our families be there to watch us play our final collegiate softball games...

Wednesday, March 28

When we got back from California, before we knew it spring break was upon us and we were going back to sunny Florida for an Extended Stay. Once again facing some of the best teams in the country, we found ourselves right in the thick of things. We had hard -fought battles against Ohio State, South Florida, Kent State, and UNLV and we took each of them into extra innings. Even though the games didn't go our way in the end, we continued to progress toward becoming the team we want to be.

Playing everyday under the sweltering sun took its toll on us, but we fought hard to stay focused with a positive and committed attitude. In addition to becoming stronger on the field, we enjoyed the sunny days and the time we got to spend with each other. Each member on our team has contributed in some way and we are especially pleased with our younger girls, who are really stepping up in big spots.

We took a positive outlook from Florida and took it straight to the Stony Brook tournament. Our solid defense and explosive bats took us straight to the top and helped us win the tournament. Now that we're home, we're excited to start conference play and use all that we have worked on to win ourselves another NEC title.

Saturday, March 3

With two weekends of practice under our belt, it was good to get back out on the field and see our friends and families. Florida was a bit of an eye opener because we saw where we were at and what we needed to improve on. Our first win against St. Johns was awesome because, as always, it was a competitive one. The scores kept changing every inning until finally we exploded with a grand slam in the fifth (by Renae Beauchman).

Unfortunately in Florida, we didn't get to experience the great weather that we have been used to in the past but we still got the games in that we needed to get in.

Our next stop of the season was Palm Springs, California. It was a great atmosphere to be in with not only the most competitive teams in the NCAA but with all of our friends and families cheering us on. Never in our experience at LIU have we had such a big turn out. Only a few years ago we used to get blown away by these top-ranked teams, but now we are only one big out or one big hit from beating these teams.

The game against Cal State Fullerton was so intense, exciting, and emotional. It was by far the biggest win by our program that we have been associated with. It was a battle we refused to lose, taking them into nine innings, and coming away with a win was icing on the cake. Like always, the tournament was a blast, the weather couldn't have been any more perfect and having our fans supporting us is a memory that we will never forget. Thank you to all of those who came and supported LIU softball, we really appreciated it!

Tuesday, Feb. 13

These last three weeks of preseason conditioning have been filled with hard work, dedication, and anticipation. The season begins in only two days and it has somewhat snuck up on us, but with the weight training, cardio workouts and offensive and defensive practices we have never felt more prepared and excited to begin the road to NEC’s.