Games 18 and 19: Mount St. Mary's (5-12) at George Washington (4-10)
When: Tue, Mar. 13, 2012, 3 p.m.
Where: Mount Vernon Softball Field, Washington, D.C.
Series Information: Mount leads 7-4
Last Meeting: Mount (5-4) 4-8-10
First Meeting: Mount (3-2) 3-25-03
Last George Washington Win: (5-4) 3-31-09
Opening Pitch: Tuesday's doubleheader between Mount St. Mary's and George Washington marks the 12th and 13th meetings in the all-time series dating back to the 2003 season. The Mount leads the matchup 7-4, including taking both ends of a doubleheader in 2010. The Mountaineers have won five of the last six in the series.
About the Colonials: George Washington comes into the contest 4-10 after falling 3-0 to Auburn on Mar. 9. Autumn Taylor leads the team with a .383 batting average, 18 hits, eight runs scored, five doubles, five homers and 13 RBIs. Lauren Wilson ranks second on the squad with a .317 batting average, 13 hits, nine runs scored, three doubles, three homers and three RBIs. Hurler Kara Clauss leads the pitching staff with a 3-6 record, a 3.09 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 54.1 innings pitched.
Last Time We Met: Beth Everist got Mount St. Mary's off to a fast start with an RBI double in the first inning of an 8-0 victory and then scored the game-winning run in a 5-4 eight-inning win to lift the Mount to a sweep on Apr. 8, 2010. Taylor Beebe posted four hits, five RBIs and a run scored for the Mount while Amanda Hanson tossed a five-inning complete-game seven-hit shutout with five strikeouts in the opener for her seventh win of the year. Erin Leddy knocked in three runs, scored a run and added two hits. Sandi Moynihan paced the Colonials with three hits and two RBIs, and Lauren Wilson added three hits and an RBI in the two games.
Last Time Out: Liz Christiansen smacked a solo homer in the third inning to become the Mount St. Mary's all-time career leader in home runs and jump start the Mount St. Mary's offense to a 6-2 win against Niagara at the Dawg Pound Invitational on Sunday. The Mount (5-12) then lost 4-3 to Coppin State in the nightcap. After smacking three homers on Saturday to tie former teammate Beth Everist (18, 2008-11) and Danyale Goode (18, 2003-06) for the all-time home run record, Christiansen established a new mark in her second at-bat with a solo shot to right center to give the Mountaineers a 2-0 lead. The redshirt junior went 2-for-4 with two RBIs in the game and went 6-for-15 with four home runs, nine RBIs and a slugging percentage of 1.200 in the four games in the Dawg Pound Invitational. Freshman Danni Cummings allowed two runs (one earned) on nine hits with three strikeouts to earn her first collegiate win. Cat Clifford added her first career home run with a three-run shot in the fourth. Holly Buckel added three hits, two runs scored and an RBI while Erin Leddy posted two hits, two runs scored and an RBI on the afternoon.
Next On Tap: The Mountaineers will head back to UMBC next weekend to participate in the UMBC Spring Classic. Mount St. Mary's will open up its home slate with the start of Northeast Conference play against Quinnipiac on Mar. 24.
Leaders On Top Of The Mountain: Redshirt junior Liz Christiansen leads the team in batting average (.311), runs (7), hits (14), home runs (4), RBIs (12) and total bases (27). Seniors Taylor Beebe and Chloe Mizianty are tied with Christiansen for the team lead with seven runs scored. Sophomore Cat Clifford ranks second on the team in hits (12) and RBIs (9). Redshirt sophomore Nicole Pagano is the squad's top hurler with a 4-2 record, a 1.75 ERA and 43 strikeouts in 44.0 innings pitched.
Station To Station No More: During its 13 games in Florida, the Mount posted four extra base hits. In the four games at the Dawg Pound Invitational, the Mountaineers registered eight extra base hits after smacking seven home runs and a triple. Redshirt junior Liz Christiansen smacked four home runs in four games while junior Alexa Tuck, and sophomores Cat Clifford and Bre Lohman each notched their first career home run over the weekend. Freshman Holly Buckel added the squad's first threebagger of the year.
The New Home Run Queen: Redshirt junior Liz Christiansen smacked four home runs at the Dawg Pound Invitational to establish a new program record at the Mount for career home runs with 19.
No-No Pagano: Redshirt sophomore Nicole Pagano tossed a five-inning no-hitter in an 11-0 win against UMBC on Mar. 10. It was the squad's first no-hitter since Amanda Hanson had a five inning no-hitter in a 30-0 win against Coppin State on Mar. 27, 2008.
Pagano Honored: Nicole Pagano was named the Northeast Conference (NEC) Pitcher of the Week for the week of Feb. 20-26. It marked the second time the redshirt sophomore has received the league's weekly award. Pagano opened the season 1-1 with 11 strikeouts and a 1.00 ERA in a pair of complete-game efforts against Stetson. The redshirt sophomore handed the Hatters its first loss of the season and controlled a Stetson offense that averaged 7.6 runs per game in its first six games. Pagano tossed a one-hit shutout with five strikeouts in a 1-0 win against the Hatters on Friday for the Mount's first win of the season. She then faced the Hatters again on Sunday, allowing two runs on six hits with six strikeouts in her second complete-game of the season in a 2-0 loss. Pagano started the campaign with 12 scoreless innings.
Preseason Poll: The Mount St. Mary's softball team has been picked 10th in the Northeast Conference (NEC) Preseason Coaches Poll. Robert Morris, the defending NEC regular season champion, nabbed six first-place votes to be tabbed as the preseason favorite. Quinnipiac garnered three first-place nods to finish second in the poll while the defending NEC Tournament champions Sacred Heart received one first-place vote to place third. Bryant, LIU Brooklyn, Central Connecticut State, Monmouth, Fairleigh Dickinson, Wagner, the Mount and Saint Francis (Pa.) rounded out the 11-team poll. Monmouth received the final first-place vote.
All-Conference Returners: While the Mount did not receive any All-Northeast Conference selections last season, redshirt junior Liz Christiansen returns in 2012 after missing the 2011 campaign due to an injury. Christiansen was named to the 2010 All-NEC first team and the inaugural Defensive Player of the Year, but will miss the season due to an injury.
The Roster: The 2011 softball roster is composed of three seniors, five juniors, seven sophomores and eight freshmen.
New To The Mountain: Head coach Anna Nagro has added eight newcomers to her team in 2012. Casey Beck, Holly Buckel, Danni Cummings, Kendra Hayward, Maria Santiago, Kayla Spataro, Hayley Stankan and Rachel Teti have joined the team in 2012.
Christiansen Powering Up On The All-Time Charts: Redshirt junior Liz Christiansen returns for the 2012 season after missing the 2011 campaign due to injury. Christiansen became the program's all-time career leader in home runs after hitting a solo shot against Niagara on Mar. 11 and now stands at 19 career homers. The redshirt junior also ranks fifth in RBIs with 74 and can move into fourth place with eight RBIs. Christiansen is also creeping up on the career Top-10 list in doubles (17) and total bases (159). She needs six doubles and five total bases to crack the Top-10 in those categories.
Taylor Made For Top-10: Senior Taylor Beebe ranks third in career doubles with 30. Next on the list is former teammate Lisa Curreri (34, 2007-10) in second place while former teammate Amanda Burk (39, 2006-09) is the program's all-time leader. The senior also ranks fifth in runs scored with 86, two away from former teammate Courtney Zingle (88, 2008-11). She is also moving closer to the Top-10 in hits, sitting at 110 hits and 15 away from the Top-10.
Sadowl Pitching Her Way Into The Top-10: Senior Amanda Sadowl ranks sixth in career wins (23), one win away from Reanna Tuczynski (24, 2009-11). The senior also sits in fifth place for games pitched with 84, four away from Allison Moraca (88, 2000-03). Sadowl is ninth in strikeouts with 155, trailing teammate Nicole Pagano (176). She is also eighth in innings pitched with 373.1. Next on the list is Iris Haynie (396.1, 1992-95).
Here Comes Pagano Too... Redshirt sophomore Nicole Pagano has moved into eighth place in career strikeouts with 176. Next on the list is former teammate Amanda Hanson (192, 2008-11). She also moved into eighth place for career wins with 17. Next on the list is Sue Merolla (22, 1985-88). With three wins, Pagano will become the eighth career 20-game winning in program history.
Local Products: Freshman Holly Buckel, a 2011 graduate of North Carroll, and freshman Rachel Teti, a 2011 graduate of Linganore, have joined the team this season and hail from Carroll County and Frederick County, respectively.
Family Tradition Continued: Freshman Holly Buckel is the second Buckel to play at Mount St. Mary's. Holy's sister, Amanda, was a four-year letterwinner on the Mount softball team and a 2010 graduate of the Mount. Amanda Buckel was named to the All-NEC first team in her senior season.
Zingle Returns: Courtney Zingle, a 2011 graduate of the Mount, returns to her alma mater to serve as an assistant coach in 2012. Zingle ranks in the Top-10 in program history in games played (190), at bats (571), runs scored (88), hits (165), runs batted in (88), doubles (27), home runs (10) and total bases (222).
About The Coach: Anna Nagro enters her second season as the head coach of the Mount softball team. The Mount went 21-42 overall and 5-115 in Northeast Conference play under the coach.
