Newburgh, N.Y. – The Mount Saint Mary College Softball team won its third straight Skyline Conference set to open the season on Saturday, taking 14-0 and 4-2 decisions from Old Westbury. Junior Bridget Bennett (Gardiner, N.Y.) picked up the win in the opener with nine strikeouts for the Knights.
 
Game 1: Mount Saint Mary 14 – Old Westbury 0
Bennett spun her second complete game shutout of the season in game one, allowing just three hits over 5.0 innings. She walked four batters in the game and struck out nine in moving to 2-2 on the season and lowering her earned run average to 2.55.
 
The Knights only managed five hits in the game, but took advantage of 19 walks in the game. The Knights got on the board in the top of the first when Bennett delivered Amanda Almodovar (Goshen, N.Y.) with a sacrifice fly and went on to score three times in the second and third innings, six times in the fourth and one more time in the fifth.
 
The Knights scored their three runs in the second on just one hit, with Bennett doubling home two runs with two outs in the inning. The Mount walked five times in the third, with Alyssa Hernandez (Middletown, N.Y.) walking in a run and Erin McCann (East Haven, N.Y.) plating a run with a sacrifice fly.
 
In the sixth-run fourth frame, the Mount recorded three of their five hits in the game and took advantage of six walks. Jillian Picarillo (Troy, N.Y.) delivered two runs with a double with Gabriella Laucella (West Babylon, N.Y.) drove in a pair of runs with single. Almodovar and Bennett both finished the winning with run scoring walks for the Knights.
 
Mount Saint Mary outhit the Panthers 5-3 in game one, with Almodovar, Bennett, Julia Rigney (Verona, N.J.), Laucella and Picarillo recording the hits. Rigney and Hernandez scored three runs apiece for the Mount with Almodovar scoring twice and stealing three bags.
 
Eleven different players drew a walk for the Mount in the game, with Lauren Oury (Bethpage, N.Y.) and Hernandez walking three times. Bennett drove in four runs and finished with a double and two walks.
 
Game 2: Mount Saint Mary 4 – Old Westbury 2
The Mount completed Saturday's sweep by outhitting the Panthers 8-5, plating single runs in the first and third innings and two more runs in the fifth.
 
After the Knights jumped in front 1-0 on a Morgan O'Neill (Little Falls, N.J.) run scoring single in the first inning, Old Westbury responded with two runs in the home half of the inning to grab its first lead of the day. Mallory Moretti and Samantha Arcese delivered runs in the frame for the Panthers.
 
Mount Saint Mary evened the score in the top of the third inning when Nicolette Moustouka (Seaford, N.Y.) scored on an error and plated the deciding runs in the fifth on the strength of two hits, an error and a walk. Moustoula finished the frame with a run scoring single for the Mount.
 
Three Knights finished with two hits in game two with Almodovar, Victoria Santomauro (Eastchester, N.Y.) and Moustouka all going 2-for-4 with a run scored. O'Neill finished with a hit and an RBI and drew one of three walks for the Mount in the game.
 
Christen Hansen (Cypress, Calif.) earned her first career win for the Mount, working 5.0 innings and allowing two runs on five hits. She walked two and fanned five in moving to 1-2 on the season. MacKenzie Hymes (Middletown, Del.) earned her first save of the year with two scoreless innings of relief work.
 
Saturday's sweep moves Mount Saint Mary to 7-13 overall on the season and to a perfect 6-0 in Skyline Conference play. Next up for the Knights is a trip to St. Joseph's-L.I. on Sunday. First pitch with the Golden Eagles is set for 12:00 p.m.