San Diego, Calif. (March 5, 2020)—The Mount St. Mary's softball team broke into the win column with a 1-0 victory over Villanova in eight innings in the first game today at the USD Tournament hosted by the University of San Diego.  The Mount fell to host San Diego, 5-0, in the second game of the day.

GAME 1:  Mount St. Mary's 1, Villanova 0

Avery Neuhart tossed a five-hit shutout to lead Mount St. Mary's to a 1-0 victory over Villanova in the first game today.  The win is the Mount's first of the season.

With the game going to extra innings, the international tiebreaker rule was put into effect with a runner being placed on second to start the inning.  In the top of the eighth, Neuhart got a groundout, a lineout and a foul out to left to keep the game scoreless.  In the bottom of the eighth, Kate Wade was placed on second, and Jessica Nines put down a sacrifice bunt, her third of the day.  A throwing error by Villanova's first baseman allowed Wade to scamper home for the winning run.

Wade led the way for the Mount (1-14) offense, going 2-for-3 at the plate with a run scored.  Neuhart struck out six in the eight-inning complete-game shutout.

Neuhart retired the Wildcats in order in the top of the first, and the Mount opened the bottom of the inning with a Stoner single and a Vanessa Martin bunt single.  Villanova starter Gabby Wenn was able to escape the jam with a pair of strikeouts and a popout.

Villanova (12-10) looked like it would break into the scoring column in the top of the third inning when Becky Ducar walked and Andrea Giampolo doubled to put runners on second and third with no outs.  Neuhart was able to get out of the jam when Ducar was out a home after getting caught in a rundown, and Villanova put runners on second and third with two outs in the sixth, but Neuhart was able to get a groundout to end the threat.

Villanova had won four of its previous five games entering today with victories over Florida State, Baylor, Kent State and San Diego State.

This was the first meeting between the Mount and Villanova since 2003 with the Wildcats holding a 4-0 edge in the all-time series coming into today.

GAME 2:  San Diego 5, Mount St. Mary's 0

San Diego held Mount St. Mary's to a pair of hits in a 5-0 win over Mount St. Mary's at the USD Tournament.  Amanda Berkley started for the Mount, allowing three earned runs in five innings of work.

The Toreros (12-11) took the lead on a Madison Casiano RBI double and a Rion Simms sacrifice fly.  Kelli Kufta add a solo home run in the second to make it 3-0, and San Diego added a pair of insurance runs in the sixth to close out the scoring.

Kaia Bonshock and Kate Wade had the Mount's hits in the game.

The Mountaineers return to action tomorrow with games against Villanova and San Diego again.