March 18, 2008

WATERBURY, Conn.-Senior Caitlin McAveney (Shohola, Pa./Delaware Valley) won her fourth game of the season, as the Post University softball team, split a non-conference doubleheader with St. Thomas Aquinas College, on a cold Tuesday afternoon at LaMoy Field. Post won the first game 2-1, while the Spartans hit three homeruns to take the nightcap 6-3.

The Eagles, who were playing at home for the first time this season, had their winning streak snapped at eight games, following the loss in the nightcap. Post is now 8-4 on the season, and has won seven of its last eight games. St. Thomas Aquinas is now 2-3 on the season.

In the first game of the day, the Eagles scored the first run in the bottom of the first inning, as freshman Tierney Marceau (Norton, Mass./Norton) recorded her 11^th RBI of the season, knocking in senior second baseman Vanessa Lagares (Meriden, Conn./Orville H. Platt) who drew a leadoff walk.

The Spartans tied it in the top of the second inning, as Shannon Donohue hit a homerun that curved just inside the left field foul pole.

The Eagles would take the lead for good in the bottom of the fourth inning, as senior first baseman Allison Williams (Montgomery, N.Y./Valley Central) worked a one-out walk, and senior Michelle Stotz (Naugatuck, Conn./Naugatuck) laced a triple to the wall in right centerfield.

That was all the help that McAveney would need as she retired five of the last six batters she faced to get the win. She scattered one run on nine hits and two walks in seven innings of work. McAveney (4-2) struck out eight batters on the afternoon, and started the game retiring seven of the first eight batters she saw.

Stotz went 2-for-3 with a triple and a run batted in, and senior left fielder Desere Obregon (Bogata, N.J./Bogata) went 2-for-3 as well.

In the nightcap, the Spartans took a 4-0 lead, by scoring a pair of runs in the first and second innings, the Eagles cut the lead in half, with two in the bottom of the second inning, as McAveney smacked a leadoff double to left, and came home when Stotz reach on a fielding error by the STAC shortstop. Lagares then laced a single to right center to knock in Stotz.

STAC added a run in the top of the third to give it a 5-2 lead, but the Eagles would add one more run in the bottom of the fifth, as sophomore shortstop Samantha Canning (Lynbrook, N.Y./Lynbrook) roped a single to centerfield to plate sophomore Amanda Prince (Seabrook, N.H./Winnacunnet), who pinch ran for Marceau.

Obregon led the Eagles at the plate, as she went 2-for-2 with a double, a walk, and a sacrifice hit. Sophomore third baseman Emily Archer (Norton, Mass./Norton) went 2-for-4 with a double.

The Eagles return to the diamond on Wednesday, as they host in-state rival, the University of Bridgeport for a non-conference doubleheader beginning at 2:30 p.m.