Hornet Invitational
MOUNT ST. MARY'S (3-12) vs. ST. BONAVENTURE (2-16)
Sunday, March 17
The Hornets Nest, Dover, Del.
MOUNT ST. MARY'S (3-12) at DELAWARE STATE (4-11)
Sunday, March 17
The Hornets Nest, Dover, Del.
MOUNT UPDATE: The Mount has recorded two consecutive shutouts while putting up an 8-0 win over Howard on March 10 and a 19-0 victory against UMBC on March 13. The 19 runs against UMBC tied for the 10th-most scored by the Mount in single-game history. It was the also the first time the Mount has pitched back-to-back shutouts since March 1, 2010, when the team beat NC Central, 12-0 and 9-0.
ABOUT ST. BONAVENTURE: The Bonnies had lost nine in a row before defeating Delaware State, 8-5, on March 3 at the University of North Florida Tournament. St. Bonaventure has been outscored 68-150 this season, but boasts a dangerous lineup with five players hitting .280 or better. Katie Sinclair is one of three players with home runs this season, as she leads the team with three.
ABOUT DELAWARE STATE: Winners of three of their last five games, the Hornets took down Harvard at the Winthrop Invitational on March 9, then swept a March 14 doubleheader with NC Central at home. Kelsey Doherty has recorded a team-best .378 batting average with 14 hits and the Hornets' lone home run of the season.
THE ALL-TIME SERIES: The Mount has won five of 11 games all-time against St. Bonaventure in the series which dates back to 1999. The Bonnnies have won the last two meetings. Against Delaware State, the Mount has an all-time record of 11-8. The two sides split two meetings last season.
CAT CLIFFORD: Through 15 games, Cat Clifford leads the team in hits (12), home runs (5), total bases (28) and RBIs (10). Clifford's five home runs already ties her for fourth-most in Mount history among juniors. She has now compiled 12 for her career, which is good for sixth all-time in school history.
PITCHING: All three wins for the Mount have occurred with Nicole Pagano pitching. Pagano hasn't allowed a run in her last 10 innings going back to the George Washington game on March 9.
HEAD COACH ANNA NAGRO: Anna Nagro is the eighth coach in school history. She has compiled a 35-77 overall record, including 14-32 in the NEC. Last season's eight wins in NEC play tied for the third most in the Mount's single-season history.
2012 ALL-CONFERENCE SELECTIONS: Liz Christiansen and Nicole Pagano each garnered All-Northeast Conference honors last year. Christiansen was First Team All-NEC after leading the Mount in average (.320), hits (47), doubles (9), home runs (9), RBIs (34) and total bases (83). She hit .355 in NEC play with five home runs and 15 RBI. She is the Mount's all-time leader with 24 career home runs and is second with 96 RBIs. Pagano was a Second Team All-NEC selection at the pitcher spot. Pagano went 11-11 with a 1.47 ERA and 147 strikeouts in 151.0 innings of work. She had a perfect game on March 16 against Rhode Island while adding her second no-hitter of the year against UMBC.
PRESEASON PICKS: The Mount was picked to finish ninth in the annual Northeast Conference preseason coaches poll. Robert Morris was tabbed as the favorite with six first-place votes, followed by defending tournament champion LIU Brooklyn, who was picked second with five first-place votes. Central Connecticut was picked third, while Monmouth and Bryant round out the top five. Quinnipiac was voted sixth, followed by Sacred Heart, Saint Francis U, Mount St. Mary's, Wagner and Fairleigh Dickinson.
NEXT UP: The Mountaineers will make their home and Northeast Conference debut against Bryant with a doubleheader on Saturday, March 23, with games at 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. at Our Lady of the Meadows Field.
