Garden City, N.Y. - A two-run home run by Milan Botte (Reston, Va.) in the top of the third inning was the only offense needed for the Molloy College softball team as the Lions eliminated LIU Post from the NCAA Tournament with a 2-0 victory on Friday (May 6) at Janet L. Ficke Field on the campus of Adelphi University. With the win, Molloy advances to the NCAA East 2 Regional Championship on Saturday (May 7) where the Lions will face hosts Adelphi needing two wins to reach the NCAA East Super Regional.
The maroon and white mustered just four hits against LIU Post starter Hannah Olshevski (Robbinsville, N.J.) through seven innings in Garden City, but two of those hits came with two outs in the top of the third inning. After Tracey Balinskas (Edison, N.J.) hit a 1-1 pitch through the right side of the infield, Botte launched a 2-1 pitch over the wall to put Molloy ahead by a 2-0 margin. That would be the only offense needed for junior pitcher Chelsea Hawks (Wading River, N.Y.), whose masterful six-hitter allowed the Lions to eliminate their East Coast Conference foes from the NCAA Tournament. It was also the eighth time this season that LIU Post and Molloy met, with the ultimate irony being that LIU Post won all four regular season meetings but Molloy claimed victory in all four postseason matchups.
Molloy will meet Adelphi on Saturday at 12 p.m. in the NCAA East 2 Sub-Regional Championship. Adelphi is 2-0 in the double-elimination tournament, while Molloy has posted a 2-1 record through two days of competition. Should the maroon and white win the first game of the day, a winner-take-all contest will be played at or around 2:30 p.m.
Provided by the Molloy Sports Information Department.
