Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Emmitsburg, Md. (April 2, 2021)--A pair of four-run innings proved to be the difference as the Mount St. Mary's softball team dropped both ends of a Northeast Conference doubleheader to LIU on Friday afternoon at the Mount's Our Lady of the Meadows Field.  LIU used a four-run third inning to fuel a 5-1 win in the opening game of the twinbill.  In the second game, the Sharks scored four times in the top of the fourth to rally from an early 3-0 deficit en route to an 8-5 victory.  The Mount stranded 10 runners on base in each game.

In game one, the Mount (10-17, 3-6 NEC) had chances to open the scoring in both the first and second innings.  In the first, a Kaylee Stoner walk, Abigayle Perry bunt single, and a Tori Bowles walk loaded the bases with one out.  Vanessa Martin grounded to short with the Sharks getting the runner out at home on a force, and Bridget Gilliano grounded to second to end the inning.

In the second inning, Maggie Kane led off with a single, and with one out, Mariah Godde drove a ball off the top of the left field fence for a base hit.  LIU starter Tallie Woodson was again able to escape the jam by getting a pair of fly outs to end the inning.

LIU (8-2, 8-2 NEC) struck for four unearned runs in the top of the third inning to break a scoreless tie.  With a runner on first and one out, LIU's Katie Hinkle hit a grounder to second with the Mount attempting to turn a double-play.  The play was originally ruled a force out, but after a conference, the umpires ruled that the Mount's shortstop dropped the ball before gaining possession instead of on the transition to a throw, putting runners on first and second for the Sharks.  Patricia Griffin followed with a base hit to load the bases for Camryn Lyman.  Lyman grounded to short, but the Mount's throw home was off the mark, allowing two runs to score.  Ciara Granado's sacrifice fly made it 3-0, and Alina Castillo drove in the final run of the inning with a base hit.

Granado belted a solo home run in the fifth to stretch the lead to 5-0.  The Mount got on the scoreboard in the sixth when Gilliano reached on an infield hit, moved to second on a groundout, and then scored on Godde's base hit up the middle.

Mount starter Amanda Berkley allowed one earned run in five-plus innings of work to take the loss.  Berkley allowed just five hits while striking out a pair in the game to fall to 7-5 on the year.  Elizabeth King pitched two scoreless innings of relief.

In game two, the Mount jumped out to a 3-0 lead before the Sharks rallied for the victory.  Perry, Kaia Bonshock and King each had two hits to pace the Mount offense that managed 11 hits in the game.

The Mount scored three times in the bottom of the third to take the 3-0 lead.  Stoner led off the frame with a walk, and Perry singled to right to put runners on first and second with no outs.  Bonshock drove a ball deep to center field that went off the top of the wall for a double, scoring Stoner with the first run of the game.  A wild pitch allowed Perry to score the second run, and Vanessa Martin's base hit through the left side of the infield gave the Mount a 3-0 lead.

Mount starter Avery Neuhart cruised throught the first three innings, facing just one battter over the minimum while holding LIU off the scoreboard.  Neuhart ran into trouble in the fourth when Lyman led off with a single and came home to score ona Granado double.  A Samantha Garcia single put runners on the corners, and Castillo gave LIU the lead with a three-run homer to center field.  The Sharks then loaded the bases, but King came on in relief of Neuhart and got a fly out to end the inning.

The long ball hurt the Mount again the next inning as Cisneros connected for a three-run shot to put LIU ahead, 7-3.  The Mount rallied with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth to cut the deficit in half.  Martin walked with one out, and after Gillano reached on a force out, King doubled to score Gillano to cut the deficit to 7-4.  Kane singled to put runners on the corners, and a wild pitch allowed King to dive home to make it a two-run game.  Godde walked, and Stoner singled to load the bases, but LIU relief pitcher Zoe Estoppey retired Perry on a fly out to right to end the inning.

Lyman added an RBI single in the sixth to give LIU an 8-5 lead, and the Mount was unable to cut into the deficit over its final two at bats.  Neuhart allowed four runs in 3.2 innings to take the loss for the Mount with King allowing four runs (three earned) in 2.1 innings of relief.  Amaya Bowman pitched a scoreless seventh for the Mountaineers.

The teams conclude the four-game series tomorrow with a noon doubleheader at Our Lady of the Meadows Field on campus.