NEWBURGH, NY - The SUNY New Paltz softball team swept a pair of games from Mount Saint Mary College on Wednesday afternoon, taking the first game, 8-0, and the second, 12-3.  The Hawks improved to 8-6 overall while the Blue Knights dropped to 4-10.

In the first game, New Paltz freshman pitcher Devon Kelly (Baldwin, N.Y.) limited the Blue Knights to just two hits. Junior Christine DelPiano (Orange, Conn.) knocked a double to the fence in center field, but was stranded on second. Senior Christina Maiocco (Rockaway Beach, N.Y.) singled to left-center in the third inning, but was stranded on second base by a strikeout and a groundout.

In game two, New Paltz scored three in the second, two in the third, and one in the fourth to capture a 6-0 advantage. After a leadoff triple by sophomore Jackie Governale (Plainedge, N.Y.) DelPiano drove her home with a ground ball to shortstop. Freshman Destiny Scott (New Paltz, N.Y.) singled later in the inning to score DelPiano and make the it a four-run game.

The Hawks answered with three runs in the top of the fifth to make the score 9-2. Mount Saint Mary freshman Danielle Orender (Wall, N.J.) led the bottom of the fifth with a single to center field and then moved around the bases with singles from sophomore Sarah Johnson (Montgomery, N.Y.) and freshman Kyle Meditz (Sound Beach, N.Y.). DelPiano eventually drove in Orender with a single to center, but the Mount would not get any more runs in the inning.

New Paltz hung three runs on the board in the top of the sixth and shut down the Blue Knights in the bottom half of the frame to earn a 12-3 win.

Up next for the Mount is a Skyline Conference date with Old Westbury. The Blue Knights will travel to the Panthers on Saturday, March 28 for a double-header. First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.