MSMC Blue Knights, Bears Split Doubleheader

PATCHOGUE – After getting swept on Friday, the Mount Saint Mary College Softball team picked up a split with St. Joseph’s-Brooklyn on Saturday afternoon. In the final conference decision of the series, the Knights posted an 11-3 win before dropping the non-conference affair by a score of 14-6. Lauren Farina drove in six runs for the Mount in the opener.

Game 1: Mount Saint Mary 11 – St. Joseph’s-Brooklyn 3
After a scoreless first, the Bears plated a run in the top of the second before Knights grabbed the lead in the home half of the inning with a pair of runs. Farina doubled home Nicole Palmer to get the Knights on the board before Alicia Killeen singled through the right side to bring home Farina and give the Knights a 2-1 advantage.

The Knights erupted for five runs in the third inning after the Bears evened the score on the strength of six hits. Nicole Rosner doubled home two runs to start the scoring in the inning and Farina followed with a two-run double of her own to move the Mount in front 6-2. Laura Dentato singled home Farina with two outs in the inning to push the Knights in front 7-2.

The Bears scratched out another run in the fifth before the Knights ended things early with a four spot in the home half of the inning. Olivia Ferara drove in a run with a single and Farina ended the game with a bases clearing, three-run double to close out her big game.

Farina finished the opener 3-for-4 with a trio of doubles, two runs scored and six driven in. Morgan O’Neill collected two hits and added a run with Palmer posting three hits and three runs scored. Rosner added two hits, a run and two RBI with Dentato and Ferara each posting a hit, run and RBI.

Bridget Morris picked up her second win of the season, working 5.0 solid innings. She allowed three runs on six hits while striking out five.

Game 2: St. Joseph’s-Brooklyn 14 – Mount Saint Mary 6

Mount Saint Mary got on the board first in the second contest on a Dentato single that delivered Samantha Bendig with the game’s first tally.

The Bears plated two in the second to jump in front by a run, before Bendig drove home Sofia Reed to knot the score at 2-2.

St. Joseph’s plated four runs in the third to jump in front 6-2 and after the two teams traded runs in their next at-bats, the Mount scored three times in the fourth. O’Neill provided the big blow with a three-run blast to get the Knights to within 7-6.

St. Joseph’s responded with seven runs over their next two at-bats to close out the win. Nicole Trani provided a two-run single in the fifth Vivian Tomovich driving in a pair of runs in a three-run sixth for the Bears.

Bendig finished game two 3-for-3 with two runs and an RBI with O’Neill and Farina each recording a pair of hits for the Knights. O’Neill scored twice and drove in four runs in game two.

Christen Hansen took the loss in the circle, allowing five earned runs on nine hits in 4.0 innings of work.

Saturday’s split moves Mount Saint Mary to 5-3 overall on the season and to 4-2 in Skyline Conference play. Next up for the Knights is a Skyline Conference series with the College of Mount Saint Vincent beginning on Friday. First pitch on April 16 in Newburgh is set for 2:30 p.m.