Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
BROOKVILLE, N.Y. – Sophomore shortstop Anniela Vaccaro hit a bases-clearing double in the decisive four-run fourth inning Sunday afternoon at the C.W. Post Softball Complex, as the visiting Queens College softball team rode a four-hitter by pitcher Faith Tessmer to a 5-1 victory over C.W. Post in the opening game of a doubleheader. The host Pioneers, who received votes in this week's NFCA Division II Top 25 Poll, took the nightcap by a 3-2 count.
Game 1: Queens 5, C.W. Post 1
After C.W. Post took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning on Nicole Hagenah's leadoff homer to left-center field, Queens responded with a four-spot in the top of the fifth inning to take the lead for good. Caroline Carbone hit a one-out single, and pinch-runner Catherine Pastor moved up 60 feet on Melissa Natale's walk. After Hayley Bettles relieved Sarah Kiser (4-4 record; 4.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K), Samantha Stallone (1-for-2, 18th stolen base of the season) walked to load the bases. After Pastor was gunned out at the plate on Allison Breakey's fielder's choice, Vaccaro drove a 1-2 pitch to right-center field, scoring three runs and giving QC a two-run lead. Vaccaro then scored the fourth run of the frame when Kaitlyn Crowley followed with a double down the left-field line.
Pastor reached on a one-out single, and came around to score following two Pioneers errors in the sixth frame to account for the final score.
Tessmer (5-3) sat down the Pioneers in order in the fifth and sixth innings, but put two runners on base with one out in the seventh frame. She then induced consecutive pop-outs to Breakey at second base to capture the victory.
Game 2: C.W. Post 3, Queens 2
The hosts picked up two runs in the bottom of the third inning off of QC starter, Bryttne Santana (4-4; CG, 7 H, 3 ER, 3 K) on back-to-back, two-out RBI doubles by Kerry Fisher and Hagenah. The game remained 2-0 until the top of the sixth inning, when Breakey hit a one-out single to left and scored when Vaccaro took a 2-0 pitch to the opposite field for her fourth homer of the year, knotting the game at 2-all.
Hagenah responded in the bottom of the sixth with her second leadoff homer of the afternoon, this time to right field, to give C.W. Post the lead for good. Caroline Carbone (2-for-3) and Tessmer reached on back-to-back singles to lead off the top of the seventh for the visitors, but Pioneers starter Christina Berardi (5-1; 7 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 6 K) induced a fielder's choice and a game-ending double play ball to secure the split.
Head coach Brian DeMasters' QC squad now has a six-game homestand this week, beginning with a 3 p.m. non-conference doubleheader versus Pace on Wednesday (Mar. 30).
