Games 40 and 41: Mount St. Mary's (11-28, 4-8 NEC) at Fairleigh Dickinson (25-16, 5-9 NEC)
When: Sat, Apr. 21, 2011, 1 p.m.
Where: FDU Softball Field, Hackensack, N.J.
Series Information: Mount leads 13-7
Last Meeting: Fairleigh Dickinson (8-2) 4-30-11
First Meeting: Fairleigh Dickinson (1-0) 4-22-01
Last Mount Win: (8-1) 5-1-10
Opening Pitch: Saturday's doubleheader marks the 21st and 22nd meetings in the all-time series dating back to the 2001 season. The Mount leads the series 13-7, but the Knights have won the last three meetings. The Mountaineers' last win in the matchup was an 8-1 decision in 2010.
About the Knights: Fairleigh Dickinson comes into the doubleheader 25-16 overall and 5-9 in Northeast Conference play after sweeping Columbia on Wednesday. Caitlin Bradac leads the team, with a .413 batting average, 52 hits, 24 runs scored, 11 doubles, a triple, eight homers and 37 RBIs. Cindy Zamudio is batting .396 with 53 hits, 30 runs scored, eight doubles, two triples, a homer and 14 RBIs. Jordan Needle is batting .323 with 41 hits, 22 runs scored, eight doubles, four home runs and 25 RBIs. Megan Reiner leads the pitching staff with a 14-6 record, a 2.28 ERA and 120 strikeouts in 130.1 innings pitched.
Last Time We Met: Fairleigh Dickinson swept doubleheader on Apr. 30, 2-11. The Knights rallied for a 4-3 win in nine innings in the opener and then took the nightcap, 8-4. Taylor Beebe paced the Mount with two hits, two RBIs and two runs scored. Courtney Zingle had two hits in the opener and an RBI while Beth Everist had two hits in the nightcap. Caitlin Bradac fueled the Knights with four hits, two RBIs and a run scored while Mikayla Fernandez added two hits, three RBIs and two runs scored in the second game.
Games 42 and 43: LIU Brooklyn (17-30, 8-4 NEC) at Mount St. Mary's (11-28, 4-8 NEC)
When: Sun, Apr. 22, 2012, 12 p.m.
Where: Our Lady of the Meadows Field, Emmitsburg, Md.
Series Information: LIU Brooklyn leads 38-7
Last Meeting: LIU Brooklyn (5-3) 4-8-11
First Meeting: LIU Brooklyn (11-9) 5-5-84
Last Mount Win: (1-0) 4-5-09
Opening Pitch: Sunday's doubleheader between Mount St. Mary's and LIU Brooklyn marks the 46 and 47 meetings in the all-time series dating back to the 1984 season. The Blackbirds leads the series 38-7, including five-straight wins in the matchup. The Mount's last win in the series was a 1-0 decision in 2009.
About the Blackbirds: LIU Brooklyn comes into its busy conference weekend 17-30 overall and 8-4 in Northeast Conference play after sweeping Sacred Heart on Sunday. The Blackbirds will travel to Central Connecticut State on Friday and Wagner on Saturday before heading to the Mount on Sunday. Nicole Toven leads the team with a .324 batting average, 35 hits, 19 runs scored, seven doubles, six home runs and 23 RBIs. Katrina Cervantes is batting .304 with 45 hits, 21 runs scored, six doubles and seven RBIs while Emily Kakuska is hitting .277 with 36 hits, 10 runs scored, 10 doubles, three homers and 14 RBIs. Sarah Reynolds is the team's top hurler with a 6-18 record, a 3.79 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 151.1 innings pitched.
Last Time We Met: Long Island swept a softball doubleheader on Apr. 8, 2011. The Blackbirds (10-27, 2-4 NEC) won the opener 7-4 and then took the nightcap, 5-3. Taylor Beebe paced the Mount with a 6-for-8 performance and three runs scored while Beth Everist added her fourth home run of the year, a two-run shot in the opener, and three RBIs in the two games. Emily Kakuska paced the Brooklyn program with three hits, four RBIs and two runs scored. Sterling Hoham added three hits, four runs scored and two RBIs while Karina Cervantes posted four hits and two RBIs in the winning effort.
Last Time Out: Robert Morris swept a softball doubleheader on Sunday. The Colonials won the opener 12-0 in five innings and then took the nightcap, 8-1. Maria Santiago paced the Mount with two hits and a run scored in the nightcap. Liz Christiansen added two hits and Taylor Beebe posted a hit in the second game.
Next On Tap: Mount St. Mary's will play six of its final 16 games at Our Lady of the Meadows Field. After the games this weekend, the Mount will travel to Coppin State on Tuesday and host Towson on Wednesday.
Leaders On Top Of The Mountain: Redshirt junior Liz Christiansen leads the team in batting average (.288), hits (30), doubles (4), home runs (6), RBIs (24) and total bases (52) while ranking third in runs (11). Sophomore Cat Clifford runs scored (12) and doubles (4) while ranking second in hits (27), home runs (5) and RBIs (20). Senior Taylor Beebe is tied for the team lead in runs scored with (12). Redshirt sophomore Nicole Pagano is the squad's top hurler with a 8-8 record, a 1.78 ERA and 109 strikeouts in 117.2 innings pitched.
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 and now stands at 21 bombs.
Perfect No-No Pagano: Redshirt sophomore Nicole Pagano became the first Mount player in Division I history to toss a perfect game against Rhode Island on Mar. 16 in an 8-0 five inning win. She faced 15 batters in five innings and had eight strikeouts. Pagano is the first Mount player to toss two no-hitters in her career in Mount Division I history after tossing 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. Mount St. Mary's has recorded five no-no's in its Division I era.
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.
Pagano Honored Again: Nicole Pagano was named the Northeast Conference (NEC) Co-Pitcher of the Week for the week of Mar. 19-25. It is the second time this season the redshirt sophomore has earned the honor and the third time in her career.Pagano went 1-2 in the week with a 0.36 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 19 innings pitched. She tossed one-hitter in an eight-inning 1-0 win against Quinnipiac on Mar. 23 with six strikeouts. The redshirt sophomore stayed on the mound in the nightcap and held the Bobcats to one unearned run over four innings with one strikeout in a 2-0 loss. She held Quinnipiac off the scoreboard for 11 innings before it scored an unearned run in the fourth and threw 171 pitches on the day. Pagano allowed one run on five hits with four strikeouts in a 1-0 loss against Sacred Heart on Mar. 25.
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 21 career homers. The redshirt junior also ranks fourth in RBIs with 86 and can move into third place with two RBIs. Christiansen has moved into ninth place for total bases with 184 and can move up a spot with one total bases. She also cracked the Top-10 in walks with 41 and can move into ninth place with one base on balls. The redshirt sophomore is also creeping up on the Top-10 for doubles with 21 and needs three to move into the 10th spot in the category.
Taylor Made For Top-10: Senior Taylor Beebe ranks third in career doubles with 32. 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 third in runs scored with 91, 13 away from second place. Beebe moved into eighth place in games played with 160 and can move into seventh place with one games played. She is also moving closer to the Top-10 in hits, sitting at 117 hits and eight 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 fourth place for games pitched with 93, two away from Reanna Tuczynski (95, 2004-07). Sadowl is ninth in strikeouts with 170, trailing former teammate Amanda Hanson (192, 2008-11). She is also seventh in innings pitched with 412.1. Next on the list is Jess Miller (416.1, 1998-01).
Here Comes Pagano Too... Redshirt sophomore Nicole Pagano has moved into fifth place in career strikeouts with 242 and can move ahead of Jess Miller (267, 1998-01) with 15 strikeouts. She also moved into eighth place for career wins with 21. Next on the list is Sue Merolla (22, 1985-88). Pagano became the eighth 20-game winner in program history with her 3-1 win against Central Connecticut State on Apr. 1.
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 is 27-58 overall and 9-23 in Northeast Conference play under the coach.
