Emmitsburg, Md. (March 22, 2015)--Mount St. Mary's split a doubleheader with Cornell in the home opener at Our Lady of the Meadows Field on Sunday afternoon.  The Mount posted an 8-5 win in the opening game while seeing a late rally come up short in a 9-7 loss in game two.

GAME 1:  Mount St. Mary's 8, Cornell 5

Marisa Mayes (Mesa, Ariz.) belted a go-ahead three-run homer in the bottom of the fourth to pace the Mount to an 8-5 win over Cornell in the opening game of the twinbill.

Cornell (3-8) took a 2-0 lead on back-to-back home runs from Michiko McGivney and Meg Parker in the top of the first inning.  The Mount answered back in the bottom of the inning when Rachel Teti (Mount Airy, Md.) belted her third home run of the year, a two-run shot to even the score.

The Big Red regained the lead with a run in the top of the third, but the Mount answered back in the bottom of the inning when Teti doubled to drive home Jessica Greenewald (Morrisville, Pa.).

Taylor Goodin doubled home Chloe Pendergast to give Cornell a 4-3 lead in the top of the fourth, but the Mount again answered in the bottom of the inning.  Tori Belloc (Casa Grande, Ariz.) singled and Maria Santiago (Buena, N.J.) walked to put runners on first and second with no outs.  After a fly out, Mayes drove the ball over the right field fence for her first career home run, giving the Mount a 6-4 lead.

The Mountaineers (3-16) added to the lead with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth.  Belloc and Santiago singled to open the inning, and Niki Gonzalez (Tucson, Ariz.) moved the runners up with a sacrifice bunt.  Mayes followed with a bunt single to plate Belloc, pushing the lead to 7-4.  Megan Baker's (Waynesboro, Pa.) RBI single gave the Mount a four-run cushion.

Cornell scored a single run in the top of the seventh to round out the scoring.

Mayes went 2-for-3 at the plate with two runs score and four RBI while Teti was 2-for-3 with three RBI.  Greenewald scored a pair of runs while walking three times.

Marian Ruf (Mesa, Ariz.) earned the win, striking out six while allowing six hits in the complete-game victory.

GAME 2:  Cornell 9, Mount St. Mary's 7

Mount St. Mary's saw its seventh-inning rally come up short in a 9-7 loss in the second game of the doubleheader.  Gonzalez went 3-for-3 with a home run and four RBI for the Mountaineers in the game.

Mount St. Mary's grabbed a 1-0 lead with an unearned run in the bottom of the first inning.  Cornell answered with four runs in the top of the second inning on two-run singles by Rebecca Kubena and Emily Weinberg.

The Mount got a run back in the bottom of the second when Belloc doubled off the center field fence, and Gonzalez singled to bring her home.

Cornell scored five times in the top of the fourth inning to take a 9-2 lead.  Parker's two-run double started the scoring while Leanne Ianucci's three-run triple down the right field line completed the rally.

The Mountaineers got a pair of runs back in the bottom of the fourth when Belloc walked, and Gonzalez cracked a two-run home run to left to make it 9-4.

The Mount rallied in the bottom of the seventh inning.  Trailing by five with two outs and no one on base, the Mount had the game-tying run in scoring position before seeing the rally ended.

Mayes walked and Belloc singled through the left-side of the infield to put runners on first and second.  Shea McFarland (Huntingtown, Md.) walked to load the bases, and Gonzalez was hit by a pitch to force home a run.  A Cornell error allowed two more runs to score, and the Mount had runners on first and second trailing 9-7.  Greenewald singled to load the bases, but Cornell's Parke was able to get the final out on a pop up to escape the jam.

Gonzalez finished the game 3-for-3 at the plate with four RBI while Greenewald went 3-for-4.  Belloc finished 2-for-3 with three runs scored for the Mount as well.

Weinberg led Cornell in the game, going 3-for-5 with a pair of RBI while Parker went 2-for-4 with two RBI.

Sam Lichtner (Morgantown, Pa.) started for the Mount, striking out five while allowing nine runs (five earned) in four innings.  Danni Cummings (Owings, Md.) tossed three innings of scoreless relief.

The Mount returns to action on March 25 with a home game against Coppin State.