Oxford, Miss. (March 4, 2023)—Mount St. Mary's dropped a pair of tight games on Saturday at the Ole Miss Classic.  Freshman Maddie Coleman pitched seven no-hit innings in the Mount's 4-2 loss to Missouri State in the opening game.  In game two, the Mountaineers were edged by Southeast Missouri, 1-0.

MISSOURI STATE 4, MOUNT ST. MARY'S 2

Freshman Maddie Coleman pitched seven no-hit innings, but Missouri State rallied twice in extra innings for a 4-2 win over the Mount in the Mount's first game today.

After seven scoreless innings, the Mount took the lead with a run in the top of the eighth inning.  With the international tiebreaker rule in place, Gina Del Giorno was placed on second to open the inning.  The Mount's first two batters were retired by strikeouts, but an error by the shortstop on a ball hit by Hannah Gartrell brought Del Giorno home with the game's first run. 

In the bottom of the eighth, Missouri State's Chloe Merced was placed on second to start the inning.  Pinch hitter Mackenzie Chacon then singled up the middle to bring home Merced with the tying run while also breaking up Coleman's no-hittter.  Coleman responded by retiring the next three batters to end the inning.

The Mount regained the lead in the top of the ninth.  With Maggie Kane placed on second, Elizabeth King sacrificed her to third for Zoe Wilcox, who laid down a squeeze bunt to score Kane with the go-ahead run.

Missouri State scored three times in the bottom of the ninth for the win.  After a sacrifice moved Kenzie Dayberry, who was placed on second to start the inning to third, Olivia Krehbiel doubled to tie the score.  Tess Weakly then followed with a two-run walk-off home run.

The Mount's best scoring chance in regulation play was in the top of the fifth when Mariah Godde has a one-out single, was sacrificed to second, and Abigayle Perry was intentionally walked to put two runners on with two outs.  Missouri State was able to get out of the jam with a strikeout.

Missouri State threatened in the bottom of the seventh when Dayberry was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a passed ball.  After a walk to Krehbiel, Tess Weakly bunted the runners to second and third with one out.  Coleman was able to retire pinch hitters Kim DeBold on a pop out to short and Emily Chadwick on a pop out to second to end the inning.

Coleman took the hard-luck loss, allowing just three hits and two earned runs in 8.1 innings in the complete-game effort.  Mariah Godde went 2-for-4 at the plate to pace the Mount offense in the game.

SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 1, MOUNT ST. MARY'S 0

Mount St. Mary's was edged in the second game of the day, 1-0, by Southeast Missouri.  The Mount offense was held to just two hits in the contest.

The lone run came across the play in the top of the third inning on a SEMO sacrifice fly.  The Mount threatened in the bottom of the fourth when Tori Bowles drew a two-out walk and Kaia Bonshock followed with a double to put runners at second and third.  Mariah Godde was retired on a grounder to third to end the inning.

In the fifth, Abigayle Perry walked and made it to third on a pair of stolen bases, but the Mount was unable to bring her home.  Bowles had a two-out single in the sixth, and a pair of walks in the seventh put the winning run in scoring position, but a grounder to third ended the contest.

Elizabeth King started for the Mount, allowing one run in four innings of work.  Avery Neuhart followed with three scoreless innings of relief.

UP NEXT:  The Mount St. Mary's concludes the tournament tomorrow with games against Missouri State and Ole Miss.