Kissimmee, Fla. – The Mount Saint Mary College Softball squad continued its Florida trip on Tuesday with a pair of tight defeats, dropping a 4-2 decision to Wisconsin Lutheran and a 6-5 decision to Utica. Three Knights recorded a pair of hits in the opener, while Breanna DePasquale (Brooklyn, N.Y.) drove in four runs against Utica.
 
Game 1: Wisconsin Lutheran 4 – Mount Saint Mary 2
The Mount got off to a quick start against the Warriors, plating a run in the top of the first, but saw Wisconsin Lutheran rally with a pair of tallies in the home half of the inning to open a one run lead. The Knights strung together three straight two out singles in the first inning, capped off by an RBI base hit from DePasquale that delivered Cindy Connoly (Walden, N.Y.) with the game's first run.
 
After falling behind 2-1 through an inning, the Mount evened the score at 2-2 in the second. Following a Shannon Sommer (Brewster, N.Y.) single and a walk from Amanda Almodovar (Goshen, N.Y.) that loaded the bases, Connoly singled to third base to push home Nicolette Moustouka (Seaford, N.Y.).
 
The Warriors broke the 2-2 in the fourth with a single run and tacked on an insurance tally in the fifth to secure the victory. Wisconsin Lutheran strung together three hits before Megan Belongia scored an unearned run that proved to be the deciding tally. The insurance run came on a two-out run scoring double off the bat of Abby Mahsem.
 
The Knights outhit the Warriors in the game 8-7, but committed three errors leading to three unearned runs. Connoly, Michelle Surdan (Acton, Mass.) and DePasquale all finished 2-for-4 in the game, with Connoly and DePasquale driving in runs. Allysun Adams (Middletown, N.Y.) reached base twice with walks for the Knights.
 
Connoly suffered the loss in the circle for the Knights, falling to 1-1in her second complete game of the season. She allowed a single earned run on seven hits and struck out three Warriors. Mahsem picked up the win for Wisconsin Lutheran, working 6.0 innings and striking out three.
 
Game 2: Utica 6 – Mount Saint Mary 5
For the fourth time in as many games to open the season, the Mount got on the scoreboard in its first at-bat, plating three runs in the first against Utica. After surrendering a run to the Pioneers in the top of the first, the Knights responded with two hits and three walks in the home half of the inning. DePasquale drove in two runs with a single in the inning and later scored on a Kathryn Eiler (Merrick, N.Y.) walk with two outs in the inning.
 
The Knights' lead grew to 4-1 in the second and to 5-1 in the fourth before the Pioneers scored five runs in their final three at-bats to sneak past the Mount. DePasquale drove in her third and fourth runs on sacrifice flies, with Sommer scoring in both the second and fourth innings.
 
Utica got a run closer in the fifth when Sadie Evans recorded a run scoring single and the Pioneers surged in front in the sixth with four runs to close out the scoring in the game. Utica recorded five hits in the inning with Madison Akots driving in two runs with a two-out double and Jacqueline Aronin following with a two-run triple. The Knights would get the tying run to third in the sixth, but were unable to push it across.
 
Almodovar rounded out the second game of the day 3-for-3 with a double, walk and run scored, with DePasquale going 1-for-2 with a run and four RBI. Sommer scored twice against the Pioneers and stole a pair of bases.
 
Colleen Dunn (Bellmore, N.Y.) took the loss for the Mount, surrendering four earned runs on nine hits in 5.2 innings of work. She struck out three and walked one in her first appearance of the season. Shannon Cool picked up the win in relief for Utica, working 5.0 innings and allowing two runs on three hits.
 
At 1-3 overall on the season, Mount Saint Mary returns to action on Wednesday with games against Case Western Reserve (9:00 a.m.) and Skidmore (11:15 a.m.).