Emmitsburg, Md. (April 13, 2021)—A late rally came up short as the Mount St. Mary's softball team lost both ends of a Northeast Conference doubleheader to visiting Saint Francis U on Tuesday afternoon at the Mount's Our Lady of the Meadows Field.  After falling in the opening game, 5-0, the Mount saw its rally from a four-run deficit come up short in a 4-3 loss in game two.  Tori Bowles paced the Mount with three hits in the twinbill while Elizabeth King tossed five innings of one-hit relief in game two.

In the opening game, the Mount offense struggled to solve Saint Francis U starter Grace Vesco, who pitched a complete-game three-hitter in the 5-0 win.  The Red Flash (28-7, 13-1 NEC) took the lead in the first when Jordan Pietrzykoski scored on an Allyn Bezjak groundout.  Saint Francis added to the lead in the top of the third inning.  Bezjak looped a single to right to opening the inning, and pinch runner Ashley Wruble scored when Lauren Aubry's hit to left got past a diving Lexi Donovan for a two-base hit.  Madeline Barnes added a two-run single later in the inning for a four-run lead.  Mekenzie Saban hit a solo homer in the seventh to close out the scoring.

The Mountaineers had singles from Kaylee Stoner, Kaia Bonshock and Bowles in the game.  Amanda Berkley pitched a complete game, allowing five runs while striking out four in seven innings of work.

In the second game, Saint Francis jumped out to a 4-0 lead after the top of the third inning, but saw the Mount rally to cut the deficit to 4-3 in the fifth inning.  The Red Flash turned to Vesco again, who retired the final six batters to keep the Mount at bay.

Saint Francis scored twice in the first and once more in the second to take a 3-0 lead.  The Red Flash looked to break things open in the third, loading the bases with no outs against Mount starter Avery Neuhart.  King came on in relief and walked the first batter to force home a run for a four-run deficit.  King, however, got out of the jam with a pop out, a strikeout, and a fly out to left to keep the Mount within range.

Mount St. Mary's (12-21, 5-10 NEC) started the comeback with two runs in the bottom of the fourth.  Abigayle Perry walked and Bonshock beat out an infield single to put runners on first and third with one out.   Kirsten Mumma pinch ran for Bonshock and stole second to put a pair of runners in scoring position for Bowles, who laced a double to right center field to cut the deficit in half.

The Mount made it a one-run game in the fifth when Stoner triple to right-center field to score Mariah Godde, who singled with two outs to start the rally.  Saint Francis starter Rachel Marsden retired Perry on a fly out to center to end the game, keeping it a 4-3 Red Flash lead.

Saint Francis turned to game one starter Vesco to preserve the lead in the bottom of the sixth, and she retired the Mount in order.  King allowed a two-out single in the top of the seventh, but got the final out to cap her stellar relief outing.

Vesco again kept the Mount at bay in the bottom of the inning, retiring the Mount in order to earn the save.

King allowed one hit while striking out three in her five innings of scoreless relief.  Neuhart allowed four runs in two-plus innings in her start.  Bowles went 2-for-3 with two RBI to pace the Mount offense.  Stoner reached base in each end of the doubleheader, stretching her streak of reaching base to 21 consecutive games.

The teams close out the four-game series with a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader at Our Lady of the Meadows Field tomorrow.