Knights Dealt Three Losses at Irwin Classic

TYLER, TX – Due to heavy rain in the forecast, the Mount Saint Mary College Softball team played three games lastTuesday, falling to #3 Texas-Tyler 7-0 and 16-0 and then to St. Catherine in a 5-4 heartbreaker to close the day. Senior Cindy Connoly made two starts in the circle on the day and finished game three with two hits.

#3 Texas-Tyler 7 – Mount Saint Mary 0
The Mount held the Patriots to a single run over the first four innings in the first game of the day, before Texas-Tyler scored six times in its final two at-bats, including four runs in the sixth frame.

Hannah Moore produced the only run the Patriots would need with a solo home run in the third inning before they added two more unearned runs in the home half of the fifth inning. Texas-Tyler broke the game open with four hits in the sixth, including a two-run homerun off the bat of Lynsey Mitchell.

Mitchell and Kursten Jaime each finished the opener 2-for-3 with Jaime scoring twice and Mitchell driving in a pair of runs. The Patriots recorded six extra base hits in the game and swiped three bases, including two from Jaime.

Courtney Barbara and Lauren Oury recorded the only hits for the Knights in the game, with Connoly drawing a walk and Amanda Almodovar reaching on an error for the only other base runners of the game.

Connoly made the start and worked 5.1 innings in the opener, allowing four earned runs on eight hits. She struck out three and did not walk a batter. Colleen Bentke moved to 9-1 for the Patriots with a strong 6.0 inning performance that saw her strikeout four.

#3 Texas-Tyler 16 – Mount Saint Mary 0
The Knights were held to five hits in game two as they were blanked for the second time this season. The Patriots put the game away with two runs in the first, seven in the second, five more in the third and a pair of runs in the fourth. Nicole Garcia delivered the big blow in the big second inning with a bases loaded triple that opened a 5-0 lead for Texas-Tyler.

Texas-Tyler featured six players with at least two hits in the game, including three hit performances from Ashley Perez and Andrea Gonzales. Five different Texas-Tyler players scored two runs in the game, with Garcia and Perez each driving in three runs.

Five different Knights recorded a hit in game two, with Almodovar, Connoly, Morgan O’Neill, Bridget Bennett and Nicolette Moustouka all singling.

Bennett made the start in the circle and suffered her third loss of the season, going 1.2 innings and allowing nine runs on eight hits. O’Neill came on to work the final 2.1 innings and surrendered seven runs on nine hits. Whitney Romero picked up the win for the Patriots and moved to 8-0 with 3.0 shutout innings that included five strikeouts.

St. Catherine 5 – Mount Saint Mary 4
Mount Saint Mary got on the board with its first run of the day in its first at-bat in the third contest of the day. After Almodovar walked and moved along twice on wild pitches, Connoly delivered her with a single up the middle for an early 1-0 lead.

After St. Catherine knotted the score at 1-1, the Knights surged in front 4-1 with three tallies in in the home half of the fifth inning. The Knights strung together four hits in the frame, with Kathryn Eiler driving in Almodovar with a double. Taylor Canto added a run scoring hit and Barbara drove in the Mount’s final run with a sacrifice fly.

Leading by three runs in the sixth, the Knights saw St. Catherine score two runs in each of its final two at-bats to steal the win. Sammie Galvez drove in a pair of runs with a double in the sixth, with Ashley Sis pushing home the tying and eventual game winning run with a one out single in the seventh.

The Knights got the tying and winning runs into scoring position in the seventh inning with one out, but could not extend the contest.

Eiler and Emily Lang doubled for the Knights in the contest, with Connoly finishing 2-for-3 with an RBI. Almodovar rounded out the game with a hit and two runs scored for the Knights.
Sis and Alyssa Wicks each finished with two hits for St. Catherine with Sis and Galvex each driving in two runs.

Connoly worked her third complete game of the season in the game, allowing three earned runs on five hits. She struck out four and did not allow a walk. Maddie Greer picked up the win in relief, working 2.2 shutout innings in which she fanned two.