Hackensack, N.J. (April 2, 2016)--The Mount St. Mary's softball team dropped a pair of one-run games in its Northeast Conference opening doubleheader on Saturday afternoon.  Rachel Heinze hit a pair of home runs in the doubleheader, breaking the Mount's single-season record.

GAME 1:  Fairleigh Dickinson 6, Mount St. Mary's 5 (8 innings)

The Mount fell in a heart-breaker in the opening game, 6-5, in eight innings.  The Mount had taken a 5-3 lead on Heinze's two-run homer in the top of the eighth inning, but the Knights scored three unearned runs in the bottom half of the inning to rally for the win.

Mayes homered in the top of the first inning to give the Mount a 1-0 advantage.  The Mountaineers (6-23, 0-2 NEC) were able to maintain the narrow lead until third, when FDU's Cheryl Lopez and Madalaine Wilen connected for solo home runs for a 2-1 lead.  Courtney Slye's solo shot in the fifth pushed the FDU advantage to 3-1.

The Mount rallied for a pair of runs in the top of the sixth to tie the score.  With no one on and two outs, Mayes walked and Heinze doubled to put runners on second and third.  Lindsay Heinze then came through with a clutch single to left to plate both runners to knot the score at 3-3.

In the eighth, Jessica Greenewald singled, and moved to second on a Mayes sacrifice bunt.  Rachel Heinze then belted a two-run homer to give the Mount the lead.  It was Heinze's 12th home run of the season, breaking the school's single-season mark of 11 set by Liz Christiansen in 2011. 

FDU (7-21, 2-0 NEC) rallied with three unearned runs in the bottom of the inning to take the win.  After a strikeout, FDU got runners on base with a walk and a Mount error.  Mount St. Mary's was able to get the second out on a liner to left, but another walk loaded the bases.  Lopez then hit a grounder to third, but FDU runner Reanna Cervantes was able to beat the Mount third baseman to the bag, and the Knights cut the deficit to 5-4.  The tying run scored when a throw from short pulled the first baseman off the bag.  The winning run came home on an error by the pitcher.

All nine players in the Mount lineup had a hit in the opening game.  Mayes went 2-for-3 with a home run and two runs scored while Rachel Heinze was 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored and two RBI.  Sam Lichtner tossed a complete-game for the Mount, allowing three earned runs with four strikeouts in 7.2 innings pitched.

GAME 2:  Fairleigh Dickinson 2, Mount St. Mary's 1

Fairleigh Dickinson took game two by the score of 2-1.  Rachel Heinze again provided the offense, hitting a solo home run in the top of the fifth inning to give the Mount a 1-0 lead.

The Knights responded with a two-run homer by Kellie Natham in the bottom of the sixth that proved to be the winning runs.

The Mount threatened in the seventh when Holly Buckel singled, and moved to second on a Greenewald grounder to first.  Mayes then singled to put runners on first and third with one out.  Rachel Heinze was up next, but flew out to center field for the second out.  Lindsay Heinze walked to load the bases, but FDU was able to thwart the rally when Shea McFarland flew out to right for the final out.

Marian Ruf took the loss for the Mount, allowing two runs with three strikeouts in six innings of work.  Mayes led the offense with a pair of hits.

The Mount is back in action on Wednesday, April 6, with a 4:00 p.m. game at Georgetown.