The Mount St. Mary's softball team returns to action this weekend at the GWU Softball Tournament hosted by Gardner-Webb.
Saturday, February 22
10:00 a.m. vs. Northern Kentucky
12:00 p.m. vs. Eastern Illinois
Sunday, February 23
12:00 p.m. at Gardner-Webb (DH)
ABOUT GARDNER-WEBB: Gardner-Webb went 3-2 at the Runnin' Bulldog Softball Tournament last weekend to improve to 9-3 on the season. The Runnin' Bulldogs posted a pair of wins over Northeast Conference member Robert Morris (12-4, 3-2 in 11 innings). Gardner-Webb is led by Andrea Lyon (.410, 4 HR, 18 RBI), Autumn Owen (.400, 2 HR, 13 RBI) and Trinity Sterrett (.375, 17R) at the plate this season. Lyon is 4-0 with a 2.66 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 29 innings in the circle while Brooke Perry is 3-2 with 42 strikeouts in 32.1 innings of work.
ABOUT NORTHERN KENTUCKY: Northern Kentucky opened the season at the Bruin Challenge hosted by Belmont last weekend, posting a 3-1 record at the tournament. Taylor Hoover went 6-for-12 with a triple and home run in the four games while Madi Mulder was 7-for-15. Taylor Ginther went 2-0 with a 1.00 ERA in a pair of complete-game starts.
ABOUT EASTERN ILLINOIS: The Panthers are 4-3 this season after falling to Kennesaw State and Troy last weekend. The Panthers are led by Kayla Bear (.364) and Hannah Cravens (.304, 2HR, 10 RBI) on offense while Taylor Florea (2-2, 3.63 ERA, 22.1 IP) is the top pitcher so far this year.
THE ALL-TIME SERIES…
vs. Gardner-Webb: The Mount is 1-1 all-time against Gardner-Webb, splitting a pair of games in 2010. The Mount lost to the Runnin' Bulldogs, 5-3, on Feb. 27, 2010, but came back the next day for a 10-1 victory.
vs. Northern Kentucky: This will be the first-ever meeting between the Mount and Northern Kentucky.
vs. Eastern Illinois: This will be the first-ever meeting between the Mount and Eastern Illinois.
MOUNT UPDATE: The Mountaineers opened the 2020 season with an 0-4 record at the Campbell Invitational last weekend. The Mount fell twice to Bucknell (5-0, 7-4) while also losing to Campbell (9-2) and Howard (12-4). Mariah Godde led the offense with a .400 (4-for-10) average while Maggie Kane went 5-for-14 (.385) with two doubles and four runs scored. Kaia Bonshock had three doubles and a team-high four RBI as well. Avery Neuhart (0-1, 4.38 ERA, 8 IP), Amanda Berkley (0-2, 4.45 ERA, 11 IP) and Jordan Weaver (0-1, 7.00 ERA, 6 IP) handled the majority of the pitching duties at Campbell.
PRESEASON POLL: The Mount St. Mary's softball team has been picked to finish in fourth place in the annual Northeast Conference Preseason Coaches Poll. Long Island was selected as the preseason favorite, capturing seven of the 10 first-place votes. Defending champion Saint Francis U is picked to finish second, followed by Sacred Heart, the Mount, Bryant, Robert Morris, Central Connecticut, Fairleigh Dickinson, Wagner and Merrimack.
STONER MOVING UP THE CHARTS: Senior Kaylee Stoner has 33 career stolen bases, good for a tie for fourth on the Mount's all-time list. She needs four steals to move into second place on the list. Patti Schaefer holds the program record with 67 career steals. Stoner also has 134 career hits, and needs four to move into 10th place on the Mount's all-time list.
HEAD COACH ANNA NAGRO: Nagro begins her 10th season at the helm of the Mount softball program, the longest tenure by a head coach in the history of the program. Last season, she guided the Mount to 26 wins, the second-most in program history. Mount St. Mary's advanced to the Northeast Conference Tournament for the first time since 2006, and posted their first NEC Tournament win, a 4-3 victory over Sacred Heart, since 1995. Her 156 coaching victories are the most in program history.
UP NEXT: The Mount will participate in the San Diego Classic on Feb. 28-Mar. 1. The Mountaineers schedule includes games with No. 1 UCLA, San Jose State, CSUN, St. John's and San Diego.
