Emmitsburg, Md. (April 2, 2015)--Mount St. Mary's opened Northeast Conference play by splitting a doubleheader with visiting Central Connecticut State at E.T. Straw Family Stadium on campus.  The Mount took the opening game, 4-3, before falling in game two, 4-0.

GAME 1:  Mount St. Mary's 4, Central Connecticut St. 3

Brian Parreira (Annapolis, Md.) drove home the go-ahead run with an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning as Mount St. Mary's (3-15, 1-1 NEC) took the opening game of the doubleheader, 4-3.

With the score tied at 3-3, Andrew Clow (Bel Air, Md.) opened the eighth by doubling off the center field fence.  Clow moved to third on a groundout ahead of a Zach Hostetter (Lebanon, Pa.) walk.  Hostetter stole second base to put runners on second and third with one out, forcing CCSU to play the infield in. 

Parreira following by lacing a single through the right side of the infield to score Clow with the go-ahead run.  Hostetter, however, was out at the plate trying to score when the throw from right field was off the mark, but backed up by CCSU pitcher Matt Blandino, who threw to the plate for the out.

The Mount's Jordan Lawson (Camp Hill, Pa.) retired CCSU in order in the top of the ninth to earn the win.

Central Connecticut (7-11, 1-1 NEC) scored an unearned run in the top of the third to take the early lead.  The Mount responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning to grab a 3-1 advantage. 

Brendan Dabagian (Media, Pa.) walked to open the inning, and moved to second on a Tommy Quealy (Pittsburgh, Pa.) sacrifice bunt.  The rally continued with a Jay Knight (Frederick, Md.) double off the left field fence to put runners on second and third.  Ryan Owens (Burke, Va.) walked to load the bases before Clow lofted a sacrifice fly to right to even the score.  Kory Britton (Columbia, Md.) followed with a two-run double off the right-field fence for a 3-1 Mount lead.

The game remained that way until CCSU scored a pair of runs in the top of the seventh to even the score.  Ian Glassman singled with one out and advanced to third on a John Lippincott two-base hit.  Mount starter Thomas Williams (Bowie, Md.) got the next batter on a line drive to short before Lawson came on in relief.  CCSU's Ryan Costello, however, singled to right field to plate both runners to tie the game at 3-3.

Knight (2-for-4), Clow (2-for-3) and Britton (2-for-4, 2 RBI) each had two hits to pace the Mount offense in game one.  Williams had a quality start, allowing five hits and three runs (two earned) in 6.2 innings.  Williams struck out four with two walks in the game.  Lawson earned the win, striking out four in 2.1 scoreless innings of relief.

GAME 2:  Central Connecticut 4, Mount St. Mary's 0

Brett Susi tossed a four-hit shutout to lead Central Connecticut to a 4-0 win in game two of the twinbill.  Knight went 2-for-3 at the plate to pace the Mount in the loss.

The Blue Devils scored a pair of runs in both the third and fourth innings to earn the win.  Glassman had an RBI double and Lippincott an RBI single in the third to give CCSU a 2-0 advantage.  Dominic Severino belted a two-run homer in the fourth to push the lead to 4-0.

The Mount's best scoring threat came in the fifth when Zach Call (Calvert, Md.) singled with one out and moved to second on a Hostetter pinch-hit single with two outs.  Susi, however, got Knight to ground out to end the inning.

Kevin Myers (LaVale, Md.) started for the Mount, allowing three runs and six hits in 3.2 innings of work. Ben Smallenbroek (Davidsonville, Md.) allowed one run in 1.1 innings of relief while Nick DeCarlo (Montgomery Village, Md.) added two scoreless innings in the game.

The teams continue the four-game series with a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader at the Mount's Straw Family Stadium tomorrow.