MOUNT ST. MARY'S (19-22-1, 7-7 NEC) vs. SAINT FRANCIS (24-21, 6-6 NEC)
Sunday, May 4, 2014, 12 p.m. & 2 p.m.
Loretto, Pa. | Red Flash Softball Field
LIVE STATS | NECFRONTROW.COM | RADIO (WWGE 1400 AM)
MOUNT UPDATE: Playoff berths are on the line as the Mount plays its final Northeast Conference doubleheader of the season on Sunday at Saint Francis University. Both teams are tied for fifth place in the regular season standings. Pitching and defense have been key to the Mount's success this season with a team ERA of 1.88 while committing eight fewer errors than their opponents (56-64). Senior pitcher Nicole Pagano currently ranks sixth in the nation with a 1.01 ERA.
LAST TIME OUT: The Mount dropped a pair of games on the road at Central Connecticut State on April 27, falling by scores of 3-2 and 2-0. Holly Buckel recorded two hits in the doubleheader to go with two RBIs and one run scored.
ABOUT SAINT FRANCIS: Currently tied with the Mount for fifth place in the NEC, Saint Francis U will host Fairleigh Dickinson for a doubleheader on Saturday, May 3, before Sunday's doubleheader. The Red Flash have gone 2-5 at home this season, including a 1-3 mark in home NEC games. Freshman pitcher Blaire Lauthers, the reigning NEC Rookie of the Week, leads the team with a 1.96 ERA, while Alexis Bowers has started 25 games in the circle this season.
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. SAINT FRANCIS: The Mount holds a 23-44 all-time record versus the Red Flash and has gone 9-18 on the road in the series. The two sides, which have played at least once every year since 1987, have split the last two doubleheaders.
PLAYOFF PICTURE: The Mount is currently tied with Saint Francis U for fifth in the Northeast Conference standings. With the top four teams making the NEC Playoffs, the Mount qualifies with a sweep of Saint Francis U on Sunday coupled with an LIU Brooklyn loss to Wagner on Saturday. Also, if the Mount finishes in a four-way tie for fourth place with Saint Francis, LIU and Wagner, the Mount would have a chance to qualify based on tiebreakers.
RECORD SETTING PAGANO: Picher Nicole Pagano has set a number of school records this season. So far in 2014, she has broken records for career wins, single-season wins and single-season strikeouts. Pagano entered the season already holding the record for career strikeouts and single-season strikeouts, which she broke again this season.
IN THE NATION: A three-time NEC Pitcher of the Week, Nicole Pagano ranks sixth in the nation with a 1.01 earned run average. Heading into her final career NEC regular season weekend, Pagano also ranks 13th in the nation with eight shutouts and 29th in strikeouts with 197.
CONTRIBUTING EARLY: Freshman Jessica Greenewald has made an immediate impact on the Mount St. Mary's program. The team's leading hitter with a .263 average, Greenewald leads the team with eight multi-hit games, and her eight-game hitting streak from earlier in the season was the longest by a Mount player on the year.
UP NEXT: If the Mount finishes in the top four of the NEC regular season standings, the team qualifies for the NEC Tournament for the first time since 2006. The tournament will be held May 8-11 in Smithfield, R.I.
