Emmitsburg, Md. (April 14, 2024)--A strong pitching performance from Oliva Murphy coupled with back-to-back home runs from Brianna Manni and Elizabeth King powered Mount St. Mary's to a 5-2 victory over Quinnipiac in the opening game on Sunday's doubleheader at Our Lady of the Meadows Field on campus.  The Bobcats rebounded for a 14-5 win in game two to earn the split.

In the opening game win, Murphy tossed a complete game four-hitter to earn the victory, allowing two unearned runs in the contest.  Manni and King provided back-to-back homers in the bottom of the sixth to secure the Mount's second win in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play.

Mount St. Mary's (9-23, 2-9 MAAC) broke a scoreless tie with two runs in the bottom of the third inning.  Hannah Gartrell and Gina Del Giorno led off the inning with back-to-back base hits.  After a wild pitch moved pinch runner Taylor Williams and Del Giorno to second and third, Abigayle Perry singled to shortstop to bring home Williams with the game's first run. A Tori Bowles RBI grounder plated Del Giorno to make it a 2-0 advantage.

Murphy kept the Bobcats (15-14, 6-6 MAAC) kept Quinnipiac at bay, preserving the two-run lead to the bottom of the sixth when the Mount added three insurance runs.  Manni blasted a solo home run over the left field fence to make it 3-0, and King followed with a blast to left center for a four-run lead. Gartrell doubles, and a bunt single from Del Giorno allowed pinch runner Avery Dinges to move to third.  Dinges then came home on a wild pitch for a 5-0 Mountaineer advantage.

The Bobcats scored a pair of unearned runs in the seventh for the final score of 5-2.  Gartrell went 2-for-2 at the plate for the Mount while Del Giorno was 2-for-3.

Quinnipiac broke open a tie game with 10 runs over the final three innings to earn the 14-5 win in the second game of the twinbill.  Hannah Davis opened the scoring with a two-run homer for the Bobcats in the top of the second inning.  The Mount sliced the lead in half with a run in the third.  Del Giorno singled with one out, and stole second base.  Perry followed with a base hit, and an errant throw allowed Del Giorno to come home.  After Quinnipiac scored twice in the fourth, the Mount scored three in the bottom of the inning to make it a 4-4 game.  Bowles led off the inning with a solo home run, her team-leading fourth of the season.  Kassidy Johnson singled, and Manni then doubled to score Johnson to make it 4-3.  King then tied the score at 4-4 with an RBI single.

Davis responded with a three-run homer, he second long ball of the game, to put the Bobcats ahead, 7-4.  An Ella McGalliard three-run shot in the sixth broke the game open.  The Mount's final tally came on a Manni RBI single in the bottom of the seventh.

Manni went 3-for-3 for the Mountaineers in game two with a pair of RBI, finishing the twinbill with four hits on the day.  Johnson and Perry added two hits each for the Mount as well.

Mount St. Mary's returns to action on Wednesday, April 17, with a home doubleheader against Maryland Eastern Shore at 2:00 p.m. at Our Lady of the Meadows Field on campus.