Newburgh, N.Y. – The Mount Saint Mary College Softball team returned to action Friday and dropped a Skyline Conference doubleheader to St. Joseph's-Brooklyn by scores of 5-3 and 8-4. Freshman Olivia Ferara (Middletown, N.Y.) finished the opener with a trio of hits for the Knights.
 
Game 1 – St. Joseph's-Brooklyn 5 – Mount Saint Mary 3
The Knights jumped out to a 3-0 lead in game one on Friday, plating single runs in the second, third and fifth innings. The Mount got on the board for an early 1-0 lead in its second at-bat when Nicole Rosner (Brewster, N.Y.) singled through the right side to deliver Ferara. Morgan O'Neill (Little Falls, N.J.) and Ferara started the inning with singles with Rosner getting the Knights on the board with a one-out single.
 
The Knights doubled their lead in the third inning on the strength of a hit and an error. Samantha Bendig (Bellmore, N.Y.) reached on an error to open the inning and later scored the game's second run on an infield single to shortstop off the bat of Ferara.
 
Mount Saint Mary added another run in the fifth after Bendig led off the frame with a double and was chased home on a single up the middle from Laura Dentato (Farmingdale, N.Y.). Ferara added another single to put two runners on for the Knights with one out, but a double play thwarted any further scoring for the Knights.
 
St. Joseph's-Brooklyn got the game tied with a two-out, three-run home run from Nicole Trani after the first two batters in the frame were retired. The Bears added the deciding runs in the when Arianna Heinsch scored on an errant throw and Isabelle Calabrese crossed on a sacrifice fly.
 
Mount Saint Mary pounded out 13 hits in the game, including a 3-for-4 effort from Ferara who added a run scored and an RBI. Dentato continued her strong start to the season by going 2-for-4 with an RBI. Bendig rounded out the opener with a pair of runs scored for the Mount.
 
O'Neill took a no decision in the circle after working 4.2 innings and allowing three runs on four hits. Bridget Morris (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) suffered the loss in relief and fell to 1-1 on the season after surrendering one earned run in 1.1 innings of work. Jessica Mecham picked up the win in a complete game effort, allowing two earned runs for the Bears.
 
Game 2 – St. Joseph's-Brooklyn 8 – Mount Saint Mary 4
The Mount got off to another quick start in game two, scoring a run in the first when O'Neill delivered Alicia Killeen (Nesconset, N.Y.) with a single down the left field line to open the scoring. Killeen led off the inning with a single and a stolen base to set up the run scoring hit.
 
St. Joseph's erased the deficit and jumped in front 3-1 following a three-run blast off the bat of Ashleigh Hartwig in the third inning. The Bears added three more runs in the fourth to open a 6-1 lead with the big blow in the frame coming on a two-run double off the bat of Casey Bennett.
 
Mount Saint Mary got back to within 6-4 with three tallies of its own in the top half of the fifth inning on the strength of four base hits. Lauren Farina (Niskayuna, N.Y.) drove in Nicole Palmer (Monroe, N.Y.) with a single and Sofia Reed (Rockaway, N.Y.) followed with a run scoring single that delivered Rosner to slice the deficit to 6-3. Dentato closed out the scoring with a sacrifice fly to being the Mount to within 6-4, but that would be as close as it would get.
 
St. Joseph's put the game away in the sixth when Hartwig connected on her second round tripper of the game, a two-run shot with two outs, to give the Bears the final four-run advantage.
 
Mount Saint Mary collected nine more hits in game two, led by a 2-for-3 effort from Palmer who added a run scored. Rosner and Killeen each added a hit and run scored in the game for the Mount.
 
Hartwig finished game two 3-for-3 with six RBI and two runs scored. Sierra Bedrin collected two hits and two runs for the Bears and Heinsch added two safeties and a run.
 
Rosner suffered the loss and fell to 1-1 after allowing five runs on nine hits in 3.0 innings. Ferara worked the final three frames, allowing three runs on three hits while striking out three. Allison Kaspar won for St. Joseph's with 4.0 innings of work with Gabby Salvador earning the save after working the final three innings.
 
At 4-2 overall and 3-2 in league play, the Knights and Bears will close out their series on Saturday. First pitch in Patchogue, N.Y.) is set for 1:00 p.m.