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#2 LIU 4, #4 Merrimack 2
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Loretto, PA — LIU’s ticket to the NCAA Tournament has been validated.
For the 11th time in head coach Roy Kortmann’s 29 seasons at the helm — and the 15th time in program history — the LIU softball team has claimed the Northeast Conference (NEC) softball tournament title and is headed to an NCAA Regional.
Playing into the title game for the fifth time in as many seasons out of the Losers’ Bracket, the second-seeded Sharks completed the impressive feat by defeating No. 4 Merrimack by a 4-2 final on Sunday in a winner-take-all championship game.
The Sharks, who were sent into the Losers’ Bracket by the Warriors on Friday, survived three elimination games. Knocking off top-seeded Saint Francis U and ending the program’s five-season run as NEC champs in the first elimination game, LIU went on to post consecutive wins over Merrimack on Saturday and Sunday to claim the program’s first title since 2016.
LIU struck early on Sunday, with third baseman
Gabby Padilla and first baseman
Maya Avila stringing together back-to-back RBI knocks in the home half of the game to make it a 2-0 advantage. Merrimack responded with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth, but in the bottom half of the frame, second baseman
Mari Narvaiz scored on an error as pinch hitter
Priscilla Gillies stole second.
The Sharks padded their lead in the same inning when left fielder
Alyssa Okada crossed on a wild pitch.
Kira Buckner, who was named to the All-Tournament Team, tossed three scoreless frames in relief to close out the win.
“The adversity that we faced this year has definitely shaped us where we can face these kinds of games with courage and bravery,” said Buckner. She added “I don’t think it would have ben an NEC Tournament if it wasn’t risky like that.”
Joining Buckner on the All-Tournament Team was designated player
Alyssa Polemeni and Padilla, while right fielder
Camryn Lyman, who scored five times and hit .545 during the tournament, was named the MVP.
LIU (32-24) will learn its NCAA Regional opponent during the NCAA Selection Show on Sunday at 7 pm on ESPN2.
Merrimack, which ended its season with an 18-30 record, landed a pair of All-Tournament Team members in centerfielder
Madison Cerpa and shortstop
Courtney Lanpher.
All-Tournament Team
Camryn Lyman, LIU (MVP)
Kira Buckner, LIU
Alyssa Polemeni, LIU
Gabby Padilla, LIU
Madison Cerpa, MC
Courtney Lanpher, MC
Bry Michitson, MC
Rachel Marsden, SFU
Jordan Pietrzykoski, SFU
Paige Stringer, CCSU