Emmitsburg, Md. (April 29, 2016)--Freshman Alex Kriss drove in the winning run with a single to left with the bases loaded to lift Mount St. Mary's to a 5-4 win over LIU Brooklyn in the opening game of a Northeast Conference doubleheader on Friday afternoon at E.T. Straw Family Stadium.  LIU Brooklyn took game two, 6-1.

The Mount (10-28, 7-15 NEC) rallied from a 4-2 eighth-inning deficit to win the opening game of the twinbill.  In the eighth inning, Kriss drew a one-out walk and moved to second on a groundout.  After moving to third on a wild pitch, Tyler Post came through with a single to right field to cut the deficit to one.

The Blackbirds (12-27, 6-10 NEC) had a chance to extend the lead in the top of the ninth when Charles Misiano led off with a double down the left field line.  Michael Kuypers came on in relief, and got a sacrifice bunt, a groundout to second with the infield in, and a fly out to end the threat.

LIU brought in closer Nick Freijomil to start the ninth, and Patrick Causa promptly singled to center field.  Dalton Clouser pinch hit, and was walked to put runners on first and second.  The Blackbirds called on reliever Matt Ornstein, but he walked Joshua Lenig to load the bases with no outs.  The Blackbirds brought in Mark Hernandez, their third pitcher in the inning to face pinch hitter Sarunas Matalavage.  Matalavage grounded the ball to second base, who got the force at home for the first out of the inning.

Ryan Owens then worked a walk to force hoe pinch runner Tanner Sampson to tie the game, setting up Kriss for his winning hit.  Kriss hit a line drive to left to score pinch runner Mitch Sgrignoli win the winning run.

Owens, Post and Lenig each went 2-for-3 at the plate in the win while Kriss was 2-for-4. Hunter Shuff had a strong start, allowing four runs (three earned) with six strikeouts and just four hits in 6.2 innings.

Seth Schubert pitched 1.2 innings of scoreless relief while Kuypers earned the win with his scoreless inning.

The Blackbirds responded to win game two 6-1 behind a solid pitching effort by Cory Hart.  Hart tossed a complete game, allowing one run and four hits while striking out 10 in the game.

LIU Brooklyn scored once in the first and twice in the second to take a 3-0 lead off Mount starter Chad Diehl.  Diehl settled down from there, retiring nine batters in a row before LIU struck for three runs in the sixth to push the lead to 6-0.

The Mount scored its run in the bottom of the seventh to spoil Hart's shutout bid.  Zach Hostetter singled with Sgrignoli coming on to pinch run. Sgrignoli moved to second on a wild pitch, and after a Vaughn Parker walk, Chris Wessels singled to center to score Sgrignoli for the Mount's run.

Hostetter went 2-for-3 for the Mount in game two.  Diehl allowed six runs in 5.2 innings while Josh Little did not allow a run in 1.1 innings of relief.

The teams will complete the series tomorrow with a doubleheader beginning at 12:00 p.m. at Straw Family Stadium on campus.  The first game will be seven innings followed by a nine inning contest.