Bridgeport, Conn. (April 19, 2014)--Mount St. Mary's baseball coach Scott Thomson earned his 300th career win as the Mountaineers held off Sacred Heart, 6-5, on Saturday afternoon at Harbor Yard Ballpark.  Ryan Owens gunned down the tying run at the plate to end the game.  With the victory, the Mount took three of four games in the Northeast Conference series to improve to 13-15 overall and 6-6 in the NEC.

Trailing 3-2 after five innings of play, Owens came up with the big hit, a bases-clearing double in the top of the sixth that gave the Mount a two-run lead.  Brandon Scott and Andrew Clow singled to start the rally.  A Kory Britton walk to load the bases with one out.  Owens then doubled to left field to clear the bases and give the Mountaineers a 5-3 advantage.

The Pioneers (18-15, 5-3 NEC) got a run back in the bottom of the sixth on a groundout, but the Mount answered with a run in the seventh to push the lead back to 6-4.  In the top of the seventh, Chris Del Vecchio singled, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, stole third, and scored on an Andrew Frazier double to left.

Back-to-back doubles from Jesus Medina and Zack Short in the bottom of the seventh cut the Mount's lead to 6-5, but the Mount bullpen, with help from Owens, held the Pioneers off the scoreboard the rest of the way.

Kevin Myers entered the game with the tying runner on third with one out in the bottom of the seventh, and he was able end the scoring threat with a popout and a fly out.

Myers retired the first batter in the eighth before Chad Diehl was summoned out of the pen.  Diehl allowed a one-out single, but retired the next batter on a flyout to center, before giving way to Mount closer Nick Riley.  Riley retired the final batter in the eighth on a flyout to center.

In the bottom of the ninth, the first two batters reached base on a walk, and a fielder's choice on a sacrifice bunt.  Riley struck out the next two batters, setting up the dramatic finish.  Matt Charmello looped a single to left, but Owens threw a strike to Clow, who tagged out Jesus Medina at the plate to end the game.

Sacred Heart had jumped out to a 2-0 lead before the Mount scored twice in the fifth to tie the game.  Zach Hostetter had an RBI double and Del Vecchio an RBI single in the inning.  Charmello's RBI single in the bottom of the fifth gave Sacred Heart a 3-2 lead.

Austin Bonadio picked up the win in relief for the Mount, allowing two runs in 2.2 innings of work.  Riley pitched 1.1 innings of scoreless relief to earn his sixth save of the year.  Starter Scott Nickerson allowed a pair of runs in 2.1 innings.

Del Vecchio went 3-for-4 for the Mount at the plate as seven of the Mount's nine hitters recorded a hit in the contest.

The Mount returns to action on April 23 at Towson.

Game Notes: The Mount won an NEC series for the first time since taking three of four against FDU in 2011...Andrew Clow was 6-for-14 (.429) in the series to move his batting average to an NEC-best .412...Kory Britton hit .583 in the four-games against Sacred Heart...The Mount pitching staff had a 2.90 ERA in the series, holding Sacred Heart to a .257 average.