Fairfield, Conn. (April 27, 2013)-- The Mount softball team swept a doubleheader at Northeast Conference opponent Sacred Heart on Saturday with wins of 3-2 and 2-1. The victories help the Mount improve to 4-6 in one run games this season. 

Rachel Gavigan picked up two hits in the game one win for the Mount, (15-29, 6-12 NEC) then put together a 3-for-3 performance at the plate in game two. Liz Christiansen walked three times to reach 73 for her to tie Taylor Beebe's school record set last season.  

Nicole Pagano pitched seven innings, allowing two runs on five hits and three walks while striking out nine for her 12th win of the season in the first game. Pagano pitched 3.1 innings of shutout ball in second game in relief of Danni Cummings, to earn her second win of the day.

In the win in the first game, the Mount's offense did all of its damage in the top of the fifth inning. After Bre Lohman singled to center and pinch runner Nicole Powell advanced to second on Alexa Tuck's walk, Marisa Mayes followed with a double to plate Powell for a 1-0 lead. Next batter, Rachel Gavigan, knocked in another run on a single to left for a 2-0 advantage. 

The lead grew to three runs on Rachel Teti's RBI single to center to score Mayes. The Mountaineers threatened to get more runs with the bases loaded later in the fifth, but SHU pitcher Taylor Lane worked out of a jam to keep the score at 3-0. 

In the bottom of the seventh, the Pioneers loaded the bases on three straight singles. Pinch hitter Wendi Westmark hit SHU's fourth single of the frame to score two runs to cut the Mount's lead to 3-2. Pagano avoided any more damage by striking out Annie Dreher to end the game on her ninth strikeout.  

SHU's Adrianna Mallory tossed 4.1 innings allowing three runs on six hits to take the loss. 

The Mount began game two with a pair of runs in the top of the first. Gavigan started the inning with a single then took second on Mayes' sacrifice bunt. Cat Clifford singled to load the bases and Erin Leddy's RBI single scored Gavigan for a 1-0 lead. The advantage became 2-0 when Kelly Hickman reached on a fielder's choice to plate Liz Christiansen. 

The Mount's starting pitcher Danni Cummings worked out of jams early in the game as the Pioneers put runners on second base in the first and second innings as well as a runner on third in the third inning without scoring a run. 

The score remained 2-0 in favor of the Mount until the bottom of the fourth when the Pioneers got on the score board on Jade Bowins' RBI single to center to cut the Mount's lead to 2-1. 

Pagano pitched the final 3.1 innings while allowing just one single in the bottom of the fifth to preserve the 2-1 victory. The Mount outhit the Pioneers by an 8-6 margin in game one, then were outhit, 7-6, in the second game. 

The Mount will conclude the season with tomorrow's doubleheader at LIU Brooklyn. The first pitch is scheduled for noon.