Kissimmee, Fla. – The Mount Saint Mary College Softball team opened play in the 2019 season on Saturday with 3-1 and 10-2 losses to Tufts and Marian, respectively. Junior Lauren Oury (Bethpage, N.Y.) recorded a pair of hits and an RBI in the opener against the Jumbos.
 
Tufts 3 – Mount Saint Mary 1
The Knights got off to a quick start in the season opener, jumping out to a 1-0 lead following their first at-bat. Following two-outs walks to Emily Lang (Westtown, N.Y.) and Morgan O'Neill (Little Falls, N.J.), Oury shot a single to center field for her first RBI of the season and the early 1-0 lead.
 
The one run advantage stood until the Jumbos knotted the score in the third inning. Back-to-back two-out doubles from Maggie Lebinski and Emma Della Volpe produced Tufts' first run in their third at-bat of the game.
 
After holding Tufts off the board in the fourth, the Jumbos plated the eventual deciding runs in the fifth on the strength three hits. Kristen Caporelli delivered the final two runs of the game with a one-out, bases loaded single in the home half of the fifth inning.
 
Oury finished the opener with two of the team's four hits and drove in the only run of the contest for the Knights. Alyssa Hernandez (Middletown, N.Y.) and Erin McCann (East Haven, Conn.) adding the other safeties, with McCann adding her first stolen base of the season.
 
O'Neill made her first start of the season in the circle and worked 3.0 innings for the Knights, allowing one run on two hits. Christen Hansen (Cypress, Calif.) suffered the loss in her first career appearance, working 3.0 innings in relief and surrendering two runs on three hits in 3.0 innings. Gillian O'Connor picked up the win in relief for Tufts after firing three shutout innings.
 
Marian 10 – Mount Saint Mary 2
The Knights were outhit 13-3 against Marian and after tying the score 1-1 in the second inning, allowed four runs in the third, three more in the fourth and two more runs in the fifth.
 
After falling behind by a run early against Marian, the Mount took advantage of a hit, two walks and an error in the second to even the score. Jillian Picarillo (Troy, N.Y.) drove in her first run of the season with two outs in the second, delivering Oury with a run scoring single.
 
Marian answered back with nine straight runs, until the Mount got back on the board in the bottom of the fifth. The Knights managed just two more hits in their final three at-bats with Lang doubling home Jessica Ehret (Broad Channel, N.Y.) with one out in the fifth.
 
Lang picked up the team's first extra-base hit of the season and drove in her first run of the year in the loss. Hernandez added her second hit of the day in game two with Oury finishing the Marian contest with a walk and a run scored.
 
Mackenzie Hymes (Middletown, Del.) suffered the loss in her first appearance in the circle, working 2.2 innings and allowing four runs on six hits. Myranda Schuttenheim picked up the complete game win for Marian, allowing two runs on three hits in 5.0 innings.
 
At 0-2 on the young season, Mount Saint Mary returns to action on Sunday when it takes on Endicott (2:15 p.m.) and Rowan (4:30 p.m.).