BROOKVILLE, N.Y. – A late comeback effort fell short in extra innings during the opener as the LIU Post softball team split its doubleheader series with Saint Thomas Aquinas College in East Coast Conference Play on Saturday, March 30.
 
Senior Leah Mele and junior Allie Laird finished with three hits each, while sophomore Breanna Klaiber drove home a team-best two runs on the day. Senior Hannah Olshevski earned her eighth victory of the season after allowing three runs while striking out seven batters.
 
Game One: LIU Post 2, STAC 5 (8 Inn.)
 
The Spartans took a 2-0 lead through four innings with two solo home runs and the same score line carried into the bottom of the sixth frame. A one-out walk by junior Abbey Fortin set the table for Klaiber who drove in the first Pioneer run with a double to left-center field, bringing LIU Post within one run at 2-1.
 
Junior Katie Humhej set the Spartans down in order during the top of the seventh to keep the deficit at one run heading into the Pioneers' final at-bat. The momentum changed quickly as Mele took the first pitch she saw over the fence in left field to lead off the inning, tying the score at 2-2. After two line outs, Laird and senior Julia Seader singled to put the winning run in scoring position. A single by Fortin to left field gave the Pioneers a chance, but Laird was thrown out at the plate as Saint Thomas Aquinas held on to force extra innings.
 
During the first extra stanza, the Spartans sent all nine batters to the plate, scoring three runs. The deficit was too much for the Pioneers who went down in order and dropped their first ECC contest of the season.
 
Game Two: LIU Post 8, STAC 3
 
Both sides went down in order during the first inning and Olshevski stranded two runners in scoring position during the top of the second inning to keep the game scoreless. The zeros quickly disappeared when sophomore Hanna Finkelstein hit a no-doubt home run over the left field bleachers to give LIU Post the 1-0 advantage.
 
Saint Thomas Aquinas leveled the scoring with a brief two-out rally during the fourth inning to tie the score momentarily, but Klaiber homered to left field for her second long ball of the season, giving the Pioneers a lead that was never relinquished. Laird, Seader, and Fortin drove home runs with three-consecutive hits during the fifth inning and the Pioneers tacked on three more runs during the sixth to provide enough insurance for Olshevski the rest of the way. The Spartans scored two runs in the seventh, but it was not enough to overcome the seven-run deficit.
 
The Pioneers return to conference play tomorrow when they travel to Queens College for two games beginning at 12:00 p.m.