Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Mount Saint Mary College softball team (2-2) split both of its games on the second day of the Gene Cusic College Classic on Tuesday, dropping an 8-0 decision to Franklin & Marshall College before rebounding to stomp Mount Mary University, 16-0.

The Knights picked up just one hit in the five-inning affair against Franklin & Marshall. The Diplomats held a 1-0 lead until they broke the game open in the fifth and forced a mercy-rule walk-off finish. They scored seven runs in what wound up being the final inning of the game, taking home an 8-0 victory in the early game.

Kaitlin Zampino picked up the win for the Diplomats with five shutout innings. Senior starter Amanda Barrese (Staten Island, N.Y.) dropped to 0-2 on the season after allowing three earned runs on six hits.

Designated player Megan Ryan led the Diplomats with two RBI, two runs scored and a double in a 1-for-2 effort on Tuesday. Second baseman Sam Denoville hit 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI. Center fielder Alicia Kukoda knocked in three runs out of the leadoff spot, also scoring once.

Freshman first baseman Michelle Surdan (Acton, Mass.) got the only hit for the Knights in a 1-for-2 outing. Sophomore right fielder Brianne Germain (Greenwood Lake, N.Y.) did not record a hit, but did manage to steal two bases in the Knights' opener on Tuesday.

The Knights bounced back with a vengeance in their second game on Tuesday, picking up eight runs in the bottom of the first. They added another six runs in the third to push their lead to 14 runs before adding another two in the fourth before closing out the game with a 16-run mercy-rule finish after five innings..

Sophomore starter Nicole Lomangino (Wantagh, N.Y.) earned her first win of the season, striking out seven batters and allowing just three hits across five scoreless innings. Katie Edwards shouldered the loss for the Blue Angels after allowing 11 earned runs in four innings of work.

Sophomore first baseman Kate Zubicki (Kearny, N.J.) had a big game for the Knights, going 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Freshman second baseman/shortstop Shannon Sommer (Brewster, N.Y.) went 3-for-4 out of the leadoff spot with three runs scored and two RBI. Junior third baseman Danielle Soto (Miller Place, N.Y.) knocked in another three runs in a 2-for-4 afternoon that included a double.

The Blue Angels committed nine errors on the afternoon, which assisted the Knights in their blowout victory. Shortstop Katie Wolk went 1-for-2 with a stolen base for Mount Mary, while catcher Nicole Weggen and center fielder Tracy Boutell matched her with 1-for-2 outings as well.

The Knights take a day off tomorrow to enjoy the warm weather down in Fort Myers, Fla., but pick things up again on Thursday, March 13, with games against St. Joseph's College of Maine and Westworth Institute of Technology. The first game on Thursday is set to begin at 1 p.m.

Follow the Knights on Twitter at @MSMCKnights