FARMINGDALE, N.Y. – Despite a spectacular pitching effort from senior Erin Lappe (Goshen, N.Y.), the Mount Saint Mary College softball team lost to Farmingdale State College in the opening round of the Skyline Conference tournament. The Blue Knights drop into the tournament's loser's bracket and will face Polytechnic on Saturday.

Mount Saint Mary got on the board first with a pair of runs in the third inning. Freshman Danielle Orender (Wall, N.J.) singled with one out in the third and then moved to second as senior Jessica Thibault (Watertown, Conn.) reached on a fielder's choice. Junior Christine DelPiano (Orange, Conn.) singled to load the bases and then sophomore Jackie Governale (Plainedge, N.Y.) singled home the first run of the game. Junior Amy Romito (Washingtonville, N.Y.) followed with another RBI single to make the score 2-0.

Farmingdale answered with three runs in the bottom of the fourth. With two outs, junior Lauren Poplawski (Levittown, N.Y.) had the best at-bat of the game by far, spoiling pitch after pitch after pitch. Finally, Poplawski put the ball in play and reached on an error by the third baseman. The next batter reached on an infield single and then freshman Kaitlin Keenan (West Islip, N.Y.) delivered the big blow. A triple to the gap in right-center brought home both runners to tie the game. Freshman Aubrey Walker (West Babylon, N.Y.) followed with a double to the same gap to give the Rams their first lead of the contest.

The Rams scratched out two insurance runs in the sixth, using three singles and a sacrifice fly to make it 5-2. With runners at second and third, Keenan blooped a singled over the pitcher's head to score freshman Shelby Martin (New Paltz, N.Y.) from third. Walker's sacrifice fly then plated Poplawski.

Mount Saint Mary didn't go easily and put together a serious threat in the top of the seventh. Freshman Destiny Scott (New Paltz, N.Y.) singled to lead off the inning and then Orender smacked her third hit of the game to make it first and second. Thibault sacrificed to make it second and third and then Scott scored on a wild pitch to make it a two-run ball game. The comeback wasn't meant to be, however, as DelPiano popped up to first and Governale struck out to end the game.

Lappe went the distance for the Blue Knights, allowing eight hits and just two earned runs. Orender was 3-for-4 with a run scored and Scott continued to swing a hot bat in a 2-for-3 performance. DelPiano was 2-for-4.

Farmingdale sophomore Heather Buckshaw (Oakdale, N.Y.) earned her fifteenth win of the season. Freshman Hope Zino (Bay Shore, N.Y.) got the final three outs of the game and picked up the save. Keenan was 2-for-4 with three RBIs and a run scored.

The Blue Knights will return to Farmingdale this Saturday to take on Polytechnic. The game is scheduled for a 12:00 p.m. start on May 2.