Knights Rally Past Worcester State For First Ever NCAA Championship Victory

ITHACA – Senior Chelsea Dexter drove in two runs with a single and sophomore Cindy Connoly earned her 14^th
win of the season in relief as the Mount Saint Mary College Softball
team overcame two one run deficits to top Worcester State 3-2 for the
program’s first ever win in the NCAA Championship.
 
The Lancers got on the board first in the third inning when Haley Scola
blasted a leadoff home run for Worcester State. The Knights got the run
right back in the home half of the inning when freshman Nicolette Moustouka laced a one out double to left center that drove in
Breanna DesPasquale (Brooklyn, N.Y.) to knot the score at 1-1.
 
Worcester State would take its second one run advantage of the game in
the top of the fifth inning after recording three hits. Three straight
singles and a sacrifice fly off the bat that Hayley Terry that pushed
home Scola gave the Lancers a 2-1 lead.
 
Mount Saint Mary erased its second deficit of the game in the home half of the fifth, recording just one hit. Kathryn Eiler, Sabrina Gordek and Connoly all walked in front of Dexter who shot a
two-out base hit to right field to push home the deciding runs in the
game.
 
Connoly would retire the Lancers in order in both the sixth and seventh innings on her way to her 14^th win of the season. She worked the final 2.2 innings for the Knights, allowing one hit and striking out three. Senior Victoria Goldbach made the start and worked 4.1 solid innings, allowing two runs on five hits.
 
After being shutout for the fifth time in 2016 on Friday, the Knights responded with three runs on five hits on Saturday. Shannon Sommer, Dexter, Taylor Canto and DePasquale all singled, while Moustouka picked up the team\’s first extra base hit of the regional.
 
Sommer and DePasquale each finished with a hit and a run scored, while
Gordek finished with a run scored and one of the team\’s five walks.
 
Worcester State was led by two hits each from Scola and Rachel Couto,
with Scola scoring each of the team\’s two runs. Kayla Humphrey suffered
the loss for the Lancers, falling to 10-9 on the season. She allowed
three runs and five walks in 4.2 innings.
 
Saturday’s win against Worcester State improves Mount Saint Mary to 23-11 on the season.