NEW BRITAIN, Conn. – Liz Christiansen (Etters, Pa./Red Land) smacked a two-run homer in the eighth inning to power Mount St. Mary's past Central Connecticut State 3-1 in the first game of a Northeast Conference (NEC) softball doubleheader. The Blue Devils won the nightcap, 9-2.

With the game tied at 1, Christiansen smacked a two-run homer in the eighth to give the Mountaineers the victory. It was the redshirt junior's second homer of the weekend and the 21st of her career.

Nicole Pagano (Berlin, N.J./St. Joseph) allowed one run on four hits with nine strikeouts to become the program's eighth career 20-game winner in program history with her victory in the opener. Cat Clifford (Hopwell Junction, N.Y./John Jay) added two hits, including a solo home run and two runs scored for the Mount (9-22, 3-5 NEC) while Maria Santiago (Buena, N.J./Buena Regional) posted two hits and a run scored in the first game.

Alyssa McCoart posted two hits and three RBIs for the Blue Devils (19-11, 1-3 NEC) and Nicole Springer added three RBIs, a hit and a run scored in the second game.

In the opener, Mount St. Mary's used a pair of long balls to defeat Central Connecticut State 3-1 in eight innings.

After the Blue Devils grabbed a 1-0 lead in the third on a Macy Stefanski run-scoring single to center, Clifford smacked her fourth home run of the season in the fourth to tie the game at 1.

Just like the first game yesterday at Bryant, the game remained tied to send it to extra innings. Santiago singled through the left side with one out in the eighth before Christiansen smacked her second homer of the weekend and sixth of the season to propel the Mount to the 3-1 win in the opener.

Central Connecticut State got a runner on in the bottom of the eighth after Rebecca Mussatti reached on an infield single with one out. Pagano ended the game with a foul out and a strikeout.

In the nightcap, the Blue Devils scored three runs in the first inning and went on for a 9-2 win to split the twinbill.

Stephanie Chotkevys started the scoring in the first with an RBI single before McCoart gave Central Connecticut State a 3-0 lead with a two-run single up the middle.

The Mountaineers answered in the second with two runs to trim the margin to 3-2. Clifford singled to left field and came around to score when Chloe Mizianty (Carlsbad, Calif./Carlsbad) reached in an error. Holly Buckel (Finksburg, Md./North Harford) plated Alex Tuck (Chester, Va./Thomas Dale) on a single up the middle after Tuck reached after being hit with the pitch.

Central Connecticut State added a run in the second and third before posting four runs in the sixth in the 9-2 victory.

Danni Cummings (Owings, Md./Northern) pitched the first two innings and took the loss before Amanda Sadowl (Horsham, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham) tossed the final four innings.

Mount St. Mary's returns to action at Canisius on Thursday. First pitch is 3 p.m.