FARMINGDALE, N.Y. – Needing to win a pair of games on Saturday to reach the championship series on Sunday, the Mount Saint Mary College softball team came up short in the loser's bracket final against Old Westbury. The Blue Knights defeated Polytechnic, 8-3, earlier in the day to reach the game with Old Westbury, but fell to the Panthers, 5-0. The Mount finishes the season at 13-23.

Against Polytechnic, the Blue Knights didn't waste any time in getting on the scoreboard. With a runner on and two outs in the first inning, sophomore Jackie Governale (Plainedge, N.Y.) drove a two-run home run over the fence in left field to give the Mount a 2-0 lead.

Leading 2-1 in the third, the Mount picked up three more runs on a bases-clearing double by junior Amy Romito (Washingtonville, N.Y.). With two runners on and two outs, the Blue Jays walked Governale on four pitches to load the bases. Romito made them pay with a double to right-center field to make it 5-1.

A two-run double by Polytechnic junior Dominique Tota (Clearwater, Fla.) in the third brought the Blue Jays back within two, but they would get no closer. Romito drove home another run with a single in the fifth and freshman Danielle Orender (Wall, N.J.) picked up an RBI in the sixth, driving home junior Liz Carlson (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.) who had tripled to center field. Senior Christina Maiocco (Rockaway Beach, N.Y.) closed the scoring with an RBI groundout in the top of the seventh inning that made the score 8-3.

Senior pitcher Erin Lappe (Goshen, N.Y.) went the distance for the Blue Knights, allowing just seven hits and three runs. She struck out seven.

Romito finished 3-for-4 with four RBIs. Governale was 2-for-2 with three runs scored and a pair of RBIs. Orender closed the game 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI.

With the win, the Blue Knights advanced to the loser's bracket final against Old Westbury with the winner slated to play Farmingdale for the championship on Sunday.

The Panthers jumped out to a quick start and never looked back as they defeated the Blue Knights, 5-0. Three hits in the first inning, including back-to-back doubles, gave Old Westbury an early two run advantage. Three more runs in the third inning put the Blue Knights on the ropes.

The Mount managed just five hits in the game, but didn't suffer from a lack of offensive chances. The Blue Knights put runners on base in five of the seven innings and stranded eight baserunners.

Romito stayed hot with the bat and collected two hits in three at-bats. Lappe went the distance once again and pitched extremely well after a rough start. She retired the final eleven batters of the game in order, but too much damage had already been done.