Emmitsburg, Md. (March 21, 2014)--Mount St. Mary's dropped a pair of games to visiting Bowling Green on Friday afternoon at Our Lady of the Meadows Field on campus.  The Mount was edged, 1-0, in the opener, before Bowling Green rallied for a 9-5 win in the second game.

In the opening game, the Mountaineers were clipped, 1-0, despite Nicole Pagano matching her career high with 14 strikeouts.

Bowling Green (8-13-1) scored the lone run of the game in the top of the first inning.  After Pagano struck out the first two batters, Chelsea Raker blooped a single to left field, and moved to second on a wild pitch.  Erika Stratton then laced a single to right field to score Raker with the only run of the game.

Bowling Green pitcher Jamie Kertes cruised through the first three innings, retiring all nine batters she faced.  The Mount (8-13-1) threatened in the bottom of the fourth.  Jessica Greenewald singled, and Megan Baker then reached on a fielder's choice to put runners on first and second with no outs.  Kertes retired the next two batters, but Rachel Gavigan's infield single loaded the bases with two outs.  Kertes struck out the next batter to escape the jam.

Pagano pitched out of a jam in the top of the fifth when the Falcons put runners on second and third with one out.  Pagano, however, struck out the next two batters to end the threat.

The Mount managed just three hits off Kertes in the opening game.  Pagano allowed one run and six hits in tossing a complete game.  It is the fourth time in her career that Pagano has struck out 14 batters in a game.

Kertes scattered three hits with six strikeouts in the shutout win for the Falcons.

In the second game, the Falcons rallied from a 5-2 second-inning deficit to earn the win.  BGSU scored twice in the bottom of the first to take the early 2-0 lead.  The first run scored on a passed ball while Stratton added an RBI single.

The Mount scored five times in the top of the second to take the lead.  Freshman Tori Belloc belted a three-run homer to left field to give the Mountaineers a 3-2 lead.  It was Belloc's first career home run.  Gavigan and Cat Clifford added run-scoring singles in the inning as well to push the lead to 5-3.

Amanda Durham's RBI double in the third cut the Mount lead to 5-3, and the Falcons scored a pair of runs in the fifth to tie the game.  Bowling Green scored four times in the bottom of the sixth to seal the win.  Durham's RBI single to right field broke the 5-5 tie, and Stratton hit a three-run homer to provide the insurance runs.

Gavigan and Alyssa Silipino each went 2-for-4 at the plate to pace the Mount in the second game.  Danni Cummings took the loss, allowing nine runs (four earned) in a complete-game effort.

Kertes allowed one run (no earned) in 5.2 innings of relief to pick up her second win of the day.  Stratton went 3-for-4 with three RBI with Durham going 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI.

The Mount is back in action tomorrow with a doubleheader at Delaware State.  The first game begins at 2:00 p.m.