Newburgh, N.Y. - In non-conference action Thursday afternoon, the Mount Saint Mary College softball team dropped a pair of games to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The Red Hawks took the first game, 13-6, and the second game, 11-2. The Blue Knights are now 5-9 overall and RPI is 11-3.

In the first game, RPI jumped out to a five run lead with one run in the second, two in the third, and two in the fourth. The Blue Knights responded with three runs in the bottom of the fourth. Freshman Sarah Johnson (Montgomery, N.Y.) and junior Christina Maiocco (Rockaway Beach, N.Y.) had RBI singles and then senior Regina Ammirati (North Babylon, N.Y.) capped the inning with a sacrifice fly.

Now trailing 5-3, the Blue Knights hung three more runs on the board in the fifth inning to take a 6-3 lead. Senior Jen Weiner (Walden, N.Y.) roped a triple down the left field line to score two runs and Maiocco came through with a sacrifice fly to give the Mount the lead.

The Red Hawks answered with a big inning in the sixth, scoring eight runs. Junior Sara Finkbeiner (Napanoch, N.Y.) had two hits in the inning, leading off with a single and then picking up an RBI triple later in the frame.

Freshman Alicia Bua (Gilford, N.H.) held down the Blue Knights for the final two innings and picked up the win for the Red Hawks. Maiocco took the loss for Mount Saint Mary.

Senior Beth Gargon (East Hampton, Conn.) was 4-for-4 in the game and tallied two runs and two RBIs. Senior Logan Russell (Cranbury, N.J.) was 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs. For Mount Saint Mary, Weiner was 1-for-2 with two runs and two RBIs.

In the second game, freshman pitcher Jen Bach (Lansdale, Pa.) held the Blue Knights to just one run in five innings and picked up the win. She allowed just three hits and also struck out three batters. She also had a big game at the plate, finishing 3-for-4 with a run and 4 RBIs.

The Red Hawks scored first in the game and never looked back. The pushed across one in the first, three in the fourth, two in the fifth, and ended the game with five runs in the sixth. Senior Courtney Sweeney (Ballston Spa, N.Y.) went 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs and junior Natalie Gendron (Auburn, N.H.) also picked up a pair of RBIs.

Up next for the Mount is a return to conference play. They travel to Farmingdale on Saturday for a double-header that is scheduled to begin at noon.