NEWBURGH – The Mount Saint Mary College Softball team continued its winning ways on Thursday, collecting its seventh straight victory with a 10-2 win over league rival Purchase. Laura Dentato connected on a grand slam and scored three runs for the Knights. Game two of the conference set was postponed due to weather.
Thursday’s win pushes Mount Saint Mary to the .500 mark on the season for the first time in 2022 at 11-11 and improves its league standing to 8-1. Purchase drops to 8-11 overall and 4-3 in conference play.
After taking advantage of a pair of Purchase errors in the first, Mount saint Mary plated two unearned runs in its first at-bat to grab an early 2-0 lead.
The advantage grew to 6-0 following Dentato’s third round tripper of the season. Riley Norwood started the inning with a walk and following a fielder’s choice that put Sofia Gannon on first, a single from Melanie McClinchey and a walk to Olivia Ferara, Dentato cleared the bases with a two-out blast to left field.
Purchase scratched across two runs in the top of the third to cut its disadvantage to 6-2, but Gannon laced a double to centerfield to drive in a run in the home half of the frame to push the Knights in front 7-2.
Nicole Rosner delivered Dentato with a single in the fourth to build the advantage to 8-2.
Mount Saint Mary ended the game in the fifth with two more tallies on two hits. Alicia Killeen, who reached with a single, and Gannon moved runners to second and third when they advanced on a wild pitch. Ferara drove in both runners with a line drive single to center to close out the scoring in the game.
For The Knights
Dentato closed the game 2-for-3 with a homerun, stolen base, three runs scored and four RBI.
Rosner finished up 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI.
Killeen recorded a hit and scored two runs.
Ferara singled, scored a run and drove in two.
Norwood and McClinchey both posted a hit and a run scored.
Gannon doubled, scored twice and drove in a run.
Bridget Morris struck out six Panthers in a no decision.
Christen Hansen moved to 7-2 after earning the win in relief. She worked 2.1 innings and struck out a pair.