Emmitsburg, Md. (April 13, 2013) -- Erin Leddy hit a home run in both games to go with four diving catches in centerfield to help the Mount St. Mary's softball team earn a split in Saturday's home doubleheader against first-place Central Connecticut. The Mount won game one by a 5-3 margin before falling in game two, 11-2. 

Nicole Pagano hurled a complete game in game one, tying a season high with 14 strikeouts while giving up two earned runs and 10 hits to snap a six-game losing streak for the Mount (11-25, 3-9 NEC). Despite outhitting the Mount, 10-5, in game one the Blue Devils (21-10, 11-1 NEC) suffered their first loss in conference play this season. 

The Mountaineers gave Pagano an early 1-0 cushion in the bottom of the second inning when Bre Lohman was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Cat Clifford's single followed by Leddy's walk and Holly Buckel's hit by pitch led to the bases loaded situation. 

CCSU responded with single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to take a 3-1 lead. 

With one out in the bottom of the sixth, Liz Christiansen hit a double to left center and two batters later, Leddy crushed her first home run of the day over the fence in left center field to level the score at 3-3. 

Later in the inning, the Mount loaded the bases again when Rachel Teti reached on an error, Buckel walked and Lohman was hit by a pitch. With a full count after fouling off five pitches, Marisa Mayes delivered what turned out to be a game-winning double to center to plate two runners for a 5-3 win. 

At the plate, Mount hitters tagged CCSU's starter Laura Messina for five runs on five hits and two walks in six innings of work. Kat Malcolm led the Blue Devils' offense in game one with three hits and one run. 

In game two, Megan Baker recorded half of the Mount's six hits with a 3-for-3 performance while Lohman and Leddy knocked home runs, but it was not enough in an 11-2 defeat. 

CCSU jumped out to a 3-0 lead with a run on an RBI groundout by Tessa Brown in the first and a double to left center from Arielle Bruno in the second inning to score two runs. 

In the bottom of the second, Leddy led off the inning with a homer to left field and two batters later, Lohman hit a 1-2 offering out of the park to left center to trim the Mount's deficit to 3-2. 

Evie Rentzel's two-run home run in the top of the third gave the Blue Devils some breathing room at 5-2 before the CCSU offense exploded for six runs in the fourth to put the game out of reach at 11-2. 

Messina also pitched game two for CCSU, allowing two runs on six hits with nine strikeouts for the win. For the Mount, Danni Cummings struck out four, but gave up eight runs on 11 hits in five innings. 

The Mount will play another home NEC doubleheader tomorrow against Saint Francis U at Our Lady of the Meadows Field. The first pitch is scheduled for noon.