ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. – Despite falling by a 5-4 decision during the day's opener, the LIU Post softball team bounced back with a 6-0 victory in the backend of an East Coast Conference doubleheader at Molloy College on Sunday, April 7.
 
Sophomore Hanna Finkelstein led the Pioneers with three hits, including two doubles and one run batted in. Junior Allie Laird and senior Julia Seader collected three hits as well, with the pair hitting one home run each and scoring three runs. Junior Megan Sneeden added two hits and sophomore Breanna Klaiber drove in a pair of runs.
 
Senior Hannah Olshevski tossed her third shutout of the season, allowing just three hits while striking out four. The right-hander did not surrender a walk and lowered her season earned run average to 1.54 en route to her 13th victory inside the circle.
 
Game One: LIU Post 4, Molloy 5
 
Laird led off the game with a single and the Pioneers eventually loaded the bases with nobody out. Klaiber drove in the game's first run with a ground ball to shortstop and Finkelstein followed suit with an infield single to put LIU Post ahead, 2-0.
 
Junior pitcher Katie Humhej retired the first eight batters of the game before hitting a batter for the Lions' first base runner. Molloy cut the deficit in half with a triple to right-center field and two batters later, the Lions took the lead on a three-run home run to take a 4-2 advantage into the fourth inning.
 
The Pioneers were unable to push across a run during the top of the fourth despite having a runner reach third base with one out. The Lions used back-to-back doubles to lead off the bottom half of the frame to take a 5-2 lead in what proved to be the game-winning run. After Finkelstein doubled with two outs in the sixth inning, Sneeden delivered an RBI-single to bring the Pioneers within two runs and Seader drove in one run during the seventh but Molloy shut the door late to earn the 5-4 victory.
 
Game Two: LIU Post 6, Molloy 0
 
For the second straight game, Laird gave LIU Post a spark right off the bat as the junior led off game two with a solo home run to center field to give the Pioneers a 1-0 lead. Olshevski retired the side in order during the first two Molloy plate appearances and stranded two runners on base during the third to keep the Lions off the scoreboard.
 
The 1-0 lead carried into the fifth inning for the Pioneers until Seader launched a solo homer to center field on a full count to double the advantage. Senior Ashley Melendez delivered an RBI-single with two outs during the sixth inning and the Green and Gold tacked on two more runs during its final at-bat to blow the game open, holding on for the 6-0 win.
 
The Pioneers return to action on Tuesday, April 9 for the first Battle of the Boulevard series of 2019 when LIU Post hosts the New York Institute of Technology at 3:00 p.m.