Elon, N.C. (February 12, 2026)—Mount St. Mary's opened the 2026 season with a doubleheader split at Elon on Thursday afternoon. The Mount captured the season opener, 9-5, before falling in the second game, 12-1. Head coach
Anna Nagro picked up her 300th career victory in the Mount's win in the first game.
GAME 1: Mount St. Mary's 9, Elon 5
Mount St. Mary's started the season off with a six-run first inning in the Mount's 9-5 victory over Elon in the opening game of today's doubleheader.
Gina Del Giorno singled to left field to start the inning with
Taylor Williams following with a walk.
Tristin Koerner singled to center to score Del Giorno with the first run of the game.
Tyra Christian followed with an RBI base hit, and
Avery Dinges reached on an error that allowed Koerner to score for a 3-0 lead. That prompted Elon to bring Lia Miller on in relief of starter Kyra Leonard.
Kelsie Bandelow greeted Miller with a three-run homer to put the Mount on top, 6-0.
Mount St. Mary's added to the lead with a run in the top of the second. Williams reached on an error, Christian walked, and Dinges singled to left center field to score Williams for a 7-0 lead.
Elon got back into the game when Mary Moss Wirt belted a grand slam to cut the Mount lead to 7-4.
The Mount got two runs back in the top of the fifth. Christian walked, and Dinges sacrificed pinch runner
Zoe Pachoca to second. Bandelow then singled to left to make it 8-4. A
Courtney Chew squeeze bunt scored Bandelow to give the Mount a five-run lead. Elon countered with an unearned run in the bottom of the frame to cut the Mount's lead to 9-5.
Freshman Emmaleigh Zagrodnichek picked up the win for the Mountaineers in her collegiate debut, allowing an unearned run while striking out three in four innings of relief. Starter
Sophia Schmehl allowed four runs in three innings or work.
Bandelow paced the offense, going 2-for-3 with a home run and four RBI while Del Giorno went 2-for-5 with a stolen base.
Tyra Christian reached base four times (1-for-2 with three walks) while adding a pair of steals in the victory.
GAME 2: Elon 12, Mount St. Mary's 1
Elon won the second game of today's doubleheader by a 12-1 margin. Freshman
Sharon Manni collected her first two collegiate hits in the game, going 2-for-3.
The Mount took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning. Christian walked and
Lia Festa singled to put runners on first and second. Pachoca then recorded her first collegiate hit to load the bases, and
Emma Tawney's sacrifice fly to center put the Mount in front.
The Phoenix (1-5) broke through against Mount starter
Kaya Hannon for four unearned runs in the bottom of the third. A pair of Mount errors started the rally with Teagan Baulsir doubling home a pair of runs for a 3-1 lead. Payton Swart followed with an RBI double to stretch the lead to 4-1.
Elon added single runs in the fourth and fifth before closing out the win with a six-run sixth.
Hannon allowed five runs (one earned) in four innings for the Mountaineers.
Sophia Vlahos pitched the final 1.1 innings for the Mount. Freshman
Janie Lofland added her first collegiate hit in the game, going 1-for-2 at the plate.
NOTES
- The Mount won its season opener for the first time since defeating Saint Joseph's, 2-0, on Feb. 25, 2023.
- Mount St. Mary's is now 1-3 all-time against Elon.
- Head coach Anna Nagro picked up her 300th career win with the 9-5 victory over Elon in the opener.In her 16th season at the Mount, she has 260 wins as a Mountaineer.She posted 40 wins as the head coach at D'Youville College.
UP NEXT: The Mount continues action at the Elon Phoenix Invitational tomorrow with a 10:00 a.m. matchup with Dayton.
