Mount Softball Cruises Past Purchase Twice

NEWBURGH – The Mount Saint Mary College Softball team remained unbeaten in Skyline Conference play on Saturday with a doubleheader sweep of Purchase, downing the Panthers 9-1 and 10-1. Sophomore Lauren Oury keyed the game two win with a home run and three RBI.

Game 1: Mount Saint Mary 9 – Purchase 1 (F/5)
The Knights got all the scoring they would need in the first inning, plating three runs on two hits. Cindy Connoly got the scoring started with a sacrifice fly and fellow senior Taylor Canto delivered two runs with a two-out single in the inning.

Mount Saint Mary put the game away with five more runs in the second to build an 8-0 lead. The Mount produced four hits in the inning, including run scoring singles from Canto and freshman Morgan O’Neill.

Purchase plated its only run of the game in the top of the fifth inning, but the Mount quickly responded in the bottom half of the frame to end the contest early. Connoly produced the game ending run with a run scoring groundout that delivered Amanda Almnodovar.

Almodovar and Canto each finished the opener with two hits, with Almodovar drawing a walk and scoring two times. Connoly walked twice, scored a run and drove in two for the Knights, with Canto driving in three runs.

Connoly won her eighth game of the season in game one, allowing three hits and striking out seven in 4.0 innings of work. O’Neill came on to work one inning in her fifth appearance of the season, striking out two Panthers.

Game 2: Mount Saint Mary 10 – Purchase 1 (F/5)
Mount Saint Mary found itself trailing by a run after the visitors plated a run in the first inning, but answered with two runs in the second, three in the third and five in the home half of the fifth inning. Alyssa Hernandez pushed the Knights in front for good in the game with a run scoring single in the second.

In the three-run third inning, Kathryn Eiler drove in Bridget Bennett with a two-out double and was later chased home on an Emily Lang double in the following at-bat. Lang eventually crossed with the third run of the inning after stealing third and scoring on an errant throw.

Mount Saint Mary picked up its second five run win on Saturday with five tallies in the fifth. Eiler drove in her second run of the inning with a groundout and Lang drove in a run with her second double of the game. Oury ended the game with her first home run of the season, driving in Canto and Lang.

Lang finished game two 3-for-3 with two doubles, two runs and a pair of RBI, with Eiler and Oury each producing two hits. Eiler doubled, scored twice and drove in two, while Oury scored twice and drove in three runs. Benntt walked twice in the game and scored two runs.

Connoly picked up her second win of the day and moved to 9-7 on the season with 5.0 strong innings. She allowed one unearned run on two hits and struck out six in her 11th complete game of the season.

Saturday’s sweep moves Mount Saint Mary back above the .500 mark overall at 14-13 and to and perfect 12-0 in league play.