BRONXVILLE, N.Y. – With a pair of victories over Skyline Conference newcomer Sarah Lawrence College (1-20, 0-10 Skyline) Thursday evening at Mary LeVine field, the Mount Saint Mary College softball team (14-8, 9-1 Skyline) got closer to clinching the top seed heading into the Skyline Conference Championship Tournament. The Knights picked up an 8-0 victory in game one, followed by a decisive 17-3 win over the Gryphons in the finale, with both games ending after five innings due to the mercy rule.
The Knights are 9-1 against the Skyline so far this season, holding first place by half a game over 9-2 St. Joseph's College (L.I.). The Knights and Golden Eagles face-off in a vital doubleheader this Saturday, April 18, in Patchogue, N.Y.
After the doubleheader against Sarah Lawrence, which was originally scheduled to be played at Mount Saint Mary, was postponed multiple times, it was rescheduled for Thursday and relocated to Sarah Lawrence. Due to the original setting, the Knights still played as the home team on the Gryphons' home field.
Game 1: Mount Saint Mary 8, Sarah Lawrence 0 (5 inn)The Knights walked off in game one in odd fashion. Freshman right fielder
Taylor Canto (Walden, N.Y.) struck out with runners on second and third and nobody away in the bottom of the fifth, but the catcher was unable to hang on to the ball, allowing Canto a chance to take first base. She was thrown out at first by the catcher, but freshman
Kathryn Eiler (Merrick, N.Y.) was able to score from third, putting the Knights up, 8-0, forcing a mercy-rule ending.
Junior starter
Victoria Goldbach (Middle Village, N.Y.) tossed a complete-game one-hitter, striking out nine batters across the full five innings. She improved to 2-0 with the win. Kamaron McNair suffered the loss for Sarah Lawrence.
Sophomore shortstop
Breanna DePasquale (Brooklyn, N.Y.) went 2-for-3 with two runs, two RBIs, a double and a home run to lead the Knights in Thursday's opener. Senior catcher
Stephanie Karcher (Oxford, Conn.) also homered in game one, and hit 1-for-2 with two RBIs and a run scored. Freshman designated player
Cindy Connoly (Walden, N.Y.) batted 2-for-2 with two runs.
Game 2: Mount Saint Mary 17, Sarah Lawrence 3 (5 inn)The Knights' offense was relentless in game two, scoring a season-high 17 runs to complete the sweep. It started with five runs in the bottom of the first, and then a huge nine-run inning in the second. They later added three more in the fourth to ensure the game would end after five innings.
Goldbach picked up another victory in game two, striking out seven batters and yielding three unearned runs across five innings to move to 3-0 on the season. Rebecca Somogyi suffered the loss for the Gryphons.
DePasquale had an incredible game for the Knights, hitting 3-for-4 with a double, triple and a home run, falling just a single shy of the cycle. Adding to the impressive stat line, she knocked in six runs and scored twice. Junior third baseman
Chelsea Dexter (Beacon, N.Y.) hit 3-for-3 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Freshman second baseman
Courtney Barbara (Fishkill, N.Y.) hit 2-for-3 with three runs, two RBIs and a double out of the leadoff spot.
Gryphon shortstop Riley Vuyovich hit 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Somogyi hit 1-for-2 with an RBI.
The Knights head to St. Joseph's (L.I.) for a high-stakes doubleheader with the Golden Eagles on Saturday. Game one is set to begin at 1 p.m. The Knights will then host Farmingdale State College on Sunday, April 19, at Newburgh Free Academy, where the Knights will celebrate Senior Day before another crucial Skyline doubleheader.
Follow the Knights on Twitter at
@MSMCKnights
