Softball Splits Doubleheader at Wagner

(game 1boxscore) / (game 2 boxscore)

5/1/05 -- Sophomore Randi Gillespie (San Jose, Calif.) homered twice and senior Jackie Brown (Westminster, Calif.) settled down after a tough start in the circle to win for Long Island, which posted an 8-5 Northeast Conference victory at Wagner prior to a 9-1 loss in game two.

Gillespie in game one put the Blackbirds (18-25, 12-4 NEC) ahead first, smashing a solo homer to left for a 1-0 lead. The Seahawks (25-13, 11-3) took a 4-1 lead in the bottom of the frame on RBI hits by Kate Refsnyder and Morgan Miller along with a run-scoring fielder’s choice from Ami Iwicki.

But LIU took the lead for good with a five-run explosion in the second. Junior Krystal Mejia (Sylmar, Calif.) laced a two-run single to right and senior Briana Mathiesen (Sylmar, Calif.), two batters latter clubbed a solo homer to dead center for a 4-4 tie. It was her 10th long ball of the season and 25th career, extending her own school records.

Gillespie continued the inning’s onslaught. After sophomore Jessie DePippo (Westlake Village, Calif.) singled, Gillespie launched a two-run homer to center for her eighth long ball of the year and a 6-4 LIU lead.

The Blackbirds tacked on two insurance runs in the third as freshman Celina Castillo (Redwood City, Calif.) scored on a wild pitch and Mejia added an RBI single.

Brown (10-11) improved to 7-1 against the NEC this season, permitting five runs -- three earned -- and 10 hits over seven innings with six strikeouts. She only yielded one run and six hits over the final six innings.

LIU had its way with Miller (14-6), the Seahawks’ ace who surrendered eight runs and 10 hits over two innings.

Dara Gadziala (5-2) was on her game in the circle for Wagner in the nightcap. She allowed one run and six hits over 5 1/3 innings, benefitting from her teammates’ 12 hits.

The Seahawks put away the contest with a six-run third inning for a 7-0 lead, helped by Natalie Stephens’ two-run single to cap the frame. Wagner scored a run in the fifth on Courtney Gambetta’s single and ended it the sixth on Christy Sykora’s home run.

Reno, Nev. native Chelsea Crosby (6-14) gave up seven runs and eight hits over 2 1/3 innings for the Blackbirds.

Gillespie closed the doubleheader with four hits and is riding a seven-game hitting streak. Freshman Vanessa Mejia (Roanoke, Va.), who homered in game two for LIU’s lone run, has a six-game hitting streak as does DePippo.

LIU returns to the campus of Wagner College on Wednesday to host Robert Morris in a doubleheader, beginning at 11:00 am.