Knights Open 2017 NCAA Division III Tournament

NEWBURGH – The Mount Saint Mary College Softball team learned it will square-off with #16 Christopher Newport in Union, N.J. to begin the 2017 NCAA Division III Championship. The Union, N.J. regional will also feature the host Kean and Neumann with the Knights and Captains set for a 1:00 p.m. first pitch.

The Knights earned their way into the National Tournament for the second straight season after claiming the 2017 Skyline Conference Championship with a 1-0 win over Sage on Sunday. Junior Cindy Connoly was named the event’s Most Outstanding Player for the second straight season after going 3-0 with a 0.33 earned run average and 30 strikeouts.

The Mount surrendered only two runs in their two games in the championship and hit .316 as a team. Connoly hit .556 with three extra base hits to pace the Knights with Amanda Almodovar leading the team with six hits and three runs scored.

Mount Saint Mary has won each of its last 10 games and has not suffered a defeat since 7-4 loss in game one against RPI on April 20. The Knights have won 27 games heading into the tournament, a single season program record.

Mount Saint Mary features six players hitting better than .300 on the season, led by a .426 mark from Connoly. She leads the team in doubles with nine and RBI with 36. Shannon Sommer paces the Mount with 61 hits, 39 runs and 68 total bases while hitting .421 as a senior.

Almodovar is hitting .360 for the Mount with a team-high 15 stolen bases with Bridget Bennett checking in a .386, Nicolette Moustouka is hitting .339 and Kathryn Eiler batting .327.

The pitching staff boasts a 1.96 earned run average, led by Connoly who is 13-7 with a 1.65 ERA. She has struck out 176 hitters against just 14 walks and has worked 20 complete games and four shutouts, including two in the conference championship. Bennett has had a strong rookie season and is 11-4 with a 2.17 earned run average in 90.1 innings pitched.

The Mount has seen several career records set in 2017, with Sommer posting the all-time mark in runs and hits heading into the tournament. Through Sunday’s win against Sage, she has 195 hits and has scored 121 runs. Michelle Surdan holds the career RBI record with 88 and Connoly has blown past the previous career strikeout record with 422.

Christopher Newport enters the tournament at 31-8 overall and as the winner of the Capital Athletic Conference Championship. The Captains have won their last eight outings overall, including three contests in the CAC Championship.

Christopher Newport is hitting .357 as a team and is led by a .460 mark at the plate from Rachael Payne. She has 57 hits, 49 runs scored, 12 doubles and 33 runs batted in. Leah Andrews has slugged six home runs and Jenn Sprinkle has driven in a team-high 36 runs. Four players have stolen at least 10 bases, led by 15 from Rachael Shiflett who has swiped15 bags and holds a .447 on-base percentage.

The pitching staff has a 2.27 earned run average and is led by Aubrey Bates who is 11-2 with a 1.60 earned run average. She has struck out 63 batters in 91.2 innings of work with opponents hitting .213 against her. Tara Heatwole and Maiven McKnight have each won 10 games for the Captains.

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