BROOKLYN, N.Y. — The Wagner softball team split its doubleheader with LIU on Tuesday, handing the Sharks their first NEC loss of the season.
In the first game, LIU came close to opening the scoring in the very first inning, as LIU loaded the bases with no outs. But the Seahawks' defense prevented the Sharks from scoring, when junior third baseman
Sydnie Trujillo collected a short grounder and flipped the ball home with her glove to the catcher for the force out. She then ended the inning with an unassisted force out at third.
The Seahawks instead scored in the top of the second inning, when freshman center fielder
Ava Nawrocki brought home senior shortstop
Payton Janicki on a sacrifice fly. Then in the fourth inning, senior catcher
Brityn Buchanan hit a two-run home run to give the Seahawks a 3-0 lead. Senior first baseman
Geanice Morales added another run with an RBI-single three batters later.
Wagner scored two more runs in the top of the sixth, starting when Morales scored from first on a double from senior left fielder Lea Rachel. Then Rachel came in on a sacrifice fly from Janicki, giving the Seahawks a 6-0 lead that would become final an inning later.
Junior starting pitcher
Karson Zavala pitched her third complete-game shutout in her last five starts, finishing the contest with five strikeouts and 10 runners left on base. She picked up her ninth win of the season, and lowered her ERA to 2.74, both top marks in the NEC.
The second game also started well for the Seahawks, when Trujillo hit her second home run of the season in the top of the third inning. But that would be all for the Seahawks offense.
LIU tied the game on an RBI single in the fourth inning, then scored a a pair of runs in the fifth on a sacrifice fly and an error. The Seahawks entered the sixth inning trailing 3-1, and they would surrender one more run in that frame on an RBI double to center field, ultimately losing the game 4-1.
The Seahawks will try to take the series from the Sharks on Wednesday, April 8. The game will start at 12 p.m. and will stream on NEC Front Row.
