Conway, S.C. (February 26, 2023)—Mount St. Mary's earned a doubleheader split with host Coastal Carolina on Sunday in the final day of the Chanticleer Showdown. After falling to 6-1 in the opening game, the Mount came through with a 3-2 win in game two. The Mount finished the tournament with a 2-2 record.
GAME 1: Coastal Carolina 6, Mount St. Mary's 1
The Mountaineers dropped the opening game of today's doubleheader, 6-1, to the Chanticleers. The Mountaineers were held to two hits in the game.
Coastal Carolina (13-2) broke through with four runs over the first two innings off Mount starter
Olivia Murphy. Iyania De Jesus had an RBI single in the first and Diamond Williams hit a two-run homer as part of the three-runs second. Coastal Carolina added a run in the third for a 5-0 lead.
The Mount got on the scoreboard in the fifth when
Zoe Wilcox reached on a bunt single, advancing all the way to third after an error by the catcher.
Abigayle Perry was hit by a pitch to put runners on the corners with two outs, and the duo of Mount runners executed a double steal to make it a 5-1 game.
De Jesus closed out the scoring with an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth.
Maddie Coleman pitched the final four innings for the Mount, allowing a pair of runs with a pair of strikeouts. Murphy had four strikeouts in her two innings of work. Wilcox and
Maggie Kane each had a hit in the loss.
GAME 2: Mount St. Mary's 3, Coastal Carolina 2
The Mountaineers responded in game two with a 3-2 victory over Coastal Carolina.
Avery Neuhart tossed a complete game to earn the win while
Lia Festa and
Julia Vincent each had RBI singles in the Mount's two-run seventh inning that secured the win.
Mount St. Mary's broke out on top with a run in the top of the first inning.
Abigayle Perry continued her torrid start to the season with a leadoff double. After Vincent moved her to third with a sacrifice bunt, Perry scored when she beat the throw home on
Brianna Manni's RBI fielder's choice. Perry went 7-for-10 (.700) with a .786 on-base percentage in the four games for the Mount in the tournament.
The Chanticleers tied the score in the bottom of the second on an RBI groundout, and from there, the game remain tied all the way until the seventh inning. The Mount defense shined in the game, including
Laurenne Gallagher robbing Coastal Carolina's Delaney Keith when she reached over the fence to deny a home run.
The Mount scored twice in the top of the seventh to take a 3-1 lead.
Gina Del Giorno led off with a pinch hit single, and she moved to second on a Gallagher sacrifice bunt. After a passed ball moved Del Giorno to third,
Lia Festa came through with a base hit to left center to give the mount the lead. After
Maggie Kane grounded into a fielder's choice, Perry singled to put runners on first and second for Vincent, who singled home Kane with a key insurance run.
Coastal Carolina's Indya Smith cut the Mount's lead in half with a one-out RBI double in the bottom of the seventh, but Neuhart was able to retired the final two batters to preserve the win.
Perry and
Hannah Gartrell each went 2-for-3 at the plate to pace the Mount offense. Neuhart allowed six hits and one earned run to pick up the complete-game win.
Up Next: The Mountaineers return to action at the Ole Miss Classic on March 3-5. The Mount plays Southeast Missouri and Ole Miss on the opening day of the tournament.
