Emmitsburg, Md. (May 2, 2023)--Mount St. Mary's stretched its win streak to 11 with a doubleheader sweep of Rider on Senior Day at Our Lady of the Meadows Field on Tuesday afternoon.  With the sweep, the Mount improves to 30-15 this season and 13-3 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

Mount St. Mary's keeps pace with MAAC leading Canisius with today's sweep of Rider.  The Mount trails Canisius by one game in the MAAC standings with four games left in the regular season.  The regular season champion will host the 2023 MAAC Softball Championships.  The Mount will close the regular season with a doubleheader at Canisius on Saturday after playing a twinbill at Niagara on Friday.  Canisiius hosts Rider for two games on Friday.

Mount St. Mary's finished the regular season with a 23-3 mark at Our Lady of the Meadows Field this season, shattering the school record for home wins.  The previous mark was 13 wins set in 2022 (13-4), 2019 (13-5) and 1988 (13-4).  The Mountaineers are 36-7 (.837) at home the past two seasons, and hold a 61-22 record (.735) record at Our Lady of the Meadows Field since 2019. 

In the opening game, Avery Neuhart tossed a complete game to improve to 11-3 on the season to lead the Mount to a 3-1 victory.  Kaia Bonshock went 2-for-2 and Erin Krizmanich 2-for-3 to lead the offense.

Rider (14-30, 6-10 MAAC) had runners on first and third with no outs in the top of the first inning, but a double play on a liner to second and a groundout to third ended the threat.  The Mount answered in the bottom of the inning with a run to take the lead.  Abigayle Perry walked and stole second.  After a strikeout, Bonshock drew a walk, and Perry then took third on a delayed steal.  Tori Bowles followed by driving the ball to the base of the fence in center field for an RBI single.

A two-out rally in the bottom of the third gave the Mount a two-run lead.  Bonshock singled and Bowles walked to put runners on first and second, and Mariah Godde followed by lacing a double to bring home Bonshock for a two-run lead.

The Broncs got a run back in the top of the sixth on a Kristyn Gardner RBI double, but left runners on first and third when Neuhart got a fly out to center to end the inning.  The Mount added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth to re-establish the two-run advantage.  Vanessa Martin doubled to open the inning, and score on a Krizmanich base hit to center field. Neuhart retired Rider in order in the seventh to secure the win.

Neuhart allowed one run and six hits in her ninth complete game of the season to move to 11-3 on the year.  The MAAC's ERA leader dropped her ERA on the season to 1.57.

In the second game, Maggie Kane's two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth inning snapped a 3-3 tie and propelled the Mount to the 7-4 victory.  Perry reached base in all four at bats, going 2-for-2 with a double, a home run and three runs scored while Krizmanich and Bonshock added two more hits in the win.

Perry gave the Mount the early lead by belting a solo home run to lead off the bottom of the first inning.  It is Perry's fourth long ball on the year.  The Broncs scored three times in the top of the third to take hte lead.  Pinch runner Kathryn Schmierer beat Maggie Kane's throw to home on a grounder to third to score the first run.  After the Broncs loaded the bases, Olivia Burroughs came through with a double to right center field to plate two runs.  The Mount avoided further damage when Perry's relay throw from Krizmanich in right field nailed the runner at the plate.

The Mount responded by scoring twice in the bottom of the third to tie the score.  Perry walked to open the inning, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, to third on a groundout, and scored on a Bowles base hit. Godde followed with an RBI double to even the score at 3-3.

The Mountaineers grabbed the lead with a four-run fifth inning.  Perry was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, and Kane followed by driving the ball over the right-center field fence for a two-run shot that put the Mount on top, 5-3.  For Kane, it is her team-leading fifth home run of the year.  Tori Bowles drew a walk, and pinch runner moved to third on a Vanessa Martin base hit.  Martin stole second, and Krizmanich followed with a double to left center field to put the Mount ahead by four.

Coleman allowed a solo home run to Brianna Koonce in the sixth, and the Broncs then made things interesting in the seventh, using three singles to load the bases with two outs.  Coleman, however, got a popout to Kane at third to end the game.

Perry went 2-for-2 with a double, home run and three runs scored in the victory.  Bonshock finished the game 2-for-4 at the plate while Krizmanich was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI.  Maddie Coleman picked up the win, allowing one run in three innings of relief to improve to 5-5 on the season.  Starting pitcher Olivia Murphy allowed three unearned runs in four innings of work.

The Mount heads to Niagara for a doubleheader on Friday, May 5 before closing the regular season with a showdown between the MAAC's top two teams on May 6.

NOTES:  This is just the second time in program history that the Mount has reached the 30-win mark in a season...The Mountaineers went 31-25 during the 2006 campaign...The Mount's 11-game win streak is the third-longest in program history...The Mount won 22 games in a row in 1987 and had a 13-game win streak last year...The Mount had three doubles plays in the doubleheader today, giving them 27 in 45 games played this season...The Mount leads NCAA Division I with 0.60 double plays per game this year.