Brookville, N.Y. (May 8, 2022)--Amanda Berkley tossed a no-hitter to help Mount St. Mary's clinch second place in the Northeast Conference standings in a 13-0 victory over LIU in the opening game of Sunday's doubleheader.  The Sharks, in the hunt for one of the final two NEC playoff spots, earned a 5-1 win in game two. 

Needing one win over the Sharks in the three-game series, the Mount (24-20, 16-7 NEC) took control early in the opening game of the twinbill, scoring five times in the top of the first and six more in the second to build an insurmountable 11-0 advantage.  Tori Bowles and Elizabeth King recorded consecutive RBI singles in the top of the first to give the Mount a 2-0 advantage.  Maggie Kane added an RBI single, Brianna Manni brought home another run with a groundout, and Mariah Godde's run-producing single made it 5-0.

The Mount broke open the game with a six-run second inning.  Abigayle Perry doubled to lead off the inning and Bridgette Gilliano singled to put runners on first and third.  After Gilliano stole second base, Kaia Bonshock brought home both runners with a base hit for a 7-0 lead.  Walks to King and Vanessa Martin loaded the bases for Manni, who connected for a grand slam to clear the bases.  It is the first collegiate home run for Manni.  Bonshock brought home the final two runs of the game, an RBI single in the third and an RBI groundout in the fifth.

Berkley was sensational for the Mount in the victory in recording the no-hitter, allowing just two base runners in five innings of work.  The graduate student improves to 12-6 on the season with a team-best 2.16 ERA.

The top three hitters in the Mount lineup, Perry, Gilliano and Bonshock, combined for nine hits in the victory.  Perry went 3-for-4 with two doubles and two runs scored, Gilliano was 3-for-3 with a triple, three runs scored and three stolen bases, while Bonshock went 3-for-4 with four RBI.  Bowles added a 2-for-4 day with two runs scored in the game as the Mount collected 15 hits in the contest.

The Sharks (24-28, 13-10 NEC) earned a 5-1 victory in game two.  A Maya Avila RBI single in the bottom of the first gave the Sharks a 1-0 lead.  LIU then scored four times in the fifth to take control of the game.  The Mount's lone run in game two came on Bonshock RBI groundout in the sixth.

Olivia Murphy started for the Mount, allowing two earned runs in four-plus innings of work.  Avery Neuhart allowed three runs in two innings of relief in the game.  Gilliano and Kane each had a hit in the game as the Mount was limited to just two hits by LIU pitcher Desiree Smith.

The teams conclude the three-game series tomorrow with a 3:00 p.m. game.