LORETTO, Pa. - Despite a 2-0 lead for the better part of the first three innings of play in the first round of the 2022 Northeast Conference Championship, FDU softball (24-24, 14-10 NEC) just couldn't get the bats going down the stretch as the side fell to #2 Mount St. Mary's 3-2 on Thursday at Red Flash Softball Field. With the loss, FDU moves to the contender's bracket and will take on #4 LIU at 1 p.m. tomorrow, May 13 in an elimination game live on ESPN3 and NEC Front Row.

Chris Foye's Knights were off to a red-hot start in their first turn at-bat on the afternoon, recording all four of their hits in the game in the first inning. First Team All-NEC honoree junior shortstop Cassidy Triska was the Burgundy and Blue's first baserunner of the day in Loretto by way of a single to right field. Triska would score in the following at-bat following an RBI double by NEC Rookie of the Year Jess DeWitt who made her 47th start of the season Thursday against the Mountaineers. With DeWitt on second base, junior designated player Hailey Ramberg was able to perfectly place a single to straight away center field to bat-in DeWitt for the Elkridge, Md. native's 12th RBI of the campaign, the first in the postseason.

FDU's rally in the opening inning with two out continued with a single by senior center fielder Courtney Mahoney to advance Ramberg to third, though that would be all the damage allowed in the opening frame. Despite a walk given up to her first batter faced from the Mount, FDU southpaw Alayna Savaglio was able to get out of the first inning unscathed with some assistance from her defense, including a perfectly executed 9-5 double play turned off the glove of sophomore right fielder Megan Berg and senior Jillian Ward who made her 25th start at third base.

Savaglio would allow just one hit in the second before the Mount evened the game with a two-run homer in the third before the Middletown, N.Y. native would be relieved by junior Malori Bell. Bell did not allow a hit in four innings of work, though she would allow the game-winning run (unearned) in the bottom of the seventh as the second-seeded Mountaineers walked off.

With the defense shoring up as the game progressed, FDU was unable to get the bats going after the monstrous first inning as FDU was sat down in order 15th batters in a row, a stretch from the second inning to the top of the seventh when Ramberg walked to break the streak.

The Mount's win didn't come easy as it began with a walk and then heads-up base running as a lineout to third followed by a throwing error resulted in the runner on first advancing two bases. With one out and a runner on third, a sacrifice fly was caught in foul territory deep enough for the runner to tag and score the third run of the day for the Mount, giving the side a 3-2 victory over the Knights in the first round of the four-team championship. The run didn't score without controversy as FDU's coaching staff appealed the lead runner for the higher seed leaving early prior to Berg's catch in foul ground, though the call on the field would be up-held after a meeting of the three-person umpiring crew.

Foye's Knights will take on LIU for the fourth time this season tomorrow, May 13 at 1 p.m. live on ESPN3 and NEC Front Row in an elimination match with the winner advancing to face either top-seeded Saint Francis U (Pa.) or the Mount, depending on which team is defeated at 4 p.m. with the winner of that contest advancing to Saturday's championship final.