Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Norfolk, Va. (February 23, 2025)—Mount St. Mary's softball rallied past Norfolk State for a 5-2 victory in the second game of tonight's season opening doubleheader.  The Spartans captured the first game, 5-1.

GAME 1:  NORFOLK STATE 5, MOUNT ST. MARY'S 1

Mount St. Mary's dropped the opening game of its season, 5-1, to Norfolk State in the first game of tonight's doubleheader.  Laurenne Gallagher provided the Mount's offense with an RBI double.

Gallagher gave the Mount the early 1-0 lead with her RBI two-base hit in the top of the second inning. Olivia Murphy walked with Emily Felice coming into the game to run.  Gallagher drove home Felice all the way from first to put the Mountaineers ahead.

Kailey Bryant's RBI bunt single tied the game in the bottom of the second, and a Maddy Morris solo home run in the third gave the Spartans at 2-1 advantage.
Norfolk State sealed the win with three runs in the bottom of the fourth.

Murphy started in the circle for the Mount, allowing two runs in three innings of work.  She struck out four while walking three and allowing three hits.  Amaya Bowman allowed three runs in two innings while freshman Ellie Meier made her Mount debut, pitching a scoreless bottom of the sixth with her first career strikeout.

Avery Dinges went 1-for-2 with a double while Taylor Williams and Lia Festa also had hits in the loss.

GAME 2:  MOUNT ST. MARY'S 5, NORFOLK STATE 2

In the nightcap, Mount St. Mary's evened the score in the top of the sixth and scored three times in the seventh to earn the split.

In the seventh inning, Lia Festa walked to start the rally and moved to second on a Taylor Williams bunt single.  Avery Dinges bunted the runners over with Gina Del Giorno plating the go-ahead run with an RBI groundout.  Williams then scored on a passed ball on a third strike for an insurance run. Brianna Manni and Tyra Christian walked to load the bases, and Kelsie Bandelow worked another walk to force home a run for a 5-2 lead. 

The Mount had tied the score at 2-2 on a wild pitch in the top of the sixth inning.  Laurenne Gallagher had an RBI single in the top of the first to put the Mount on top before Norfolk State (4-2) scored twice in the fifth to take the lead.

Williams led the Mount with a pair of hits in the win.  In the circle, freshman Ellie Meier tossed a complete game, allowing two runs with six strikeouts for her first career victory.

UP NEXT:  Mount St. Mary's has a doubleheader tomorrow at Hampton with game one beginning at noon.