Erie, PA - Despite falling behind early, the Mount Aloysius softball team was able to battle back against Franciscan on Saturday and win their second extra inning game in a row to lock down a spot in the AMCC Championship Game by a score of 5-4.

The Mounties got off to a slow start as the Barons scored 3 quick runs in the 1st. They used 2 hits, a walk and an error to score the runs of starting pitcher Karlie Clark (Yukon, PA/Yough). The Mounties were able to pull one back right away as they scored one of their own in the 1st. Kara Pisczek (Johnstown, PA/Conemaugh Township) led off the game with a double to left. A few batters later Emily Cochran (Natrona Heights, PA/Highlands) hit a two out single back up the middle to bring the run home. They used another 2 out hit to score another run in the 2nd. Courtney Link (Ebensburg, PA/Bishop Carroll) reached on a single to right center and advanced to 2nd on a Pisczek walk. Kate Little (Asheville, PA/Penn Cambria) then singled to right field to bring Link around and cut the lead to 1. 

Franciscan was able to push the lead back to 2 in the 3rd. Clark allowed a lead off single, but saw the runner erased as Lydia DeFazio (Harrison City, PA/Penn Trafford) threw out the runner attempting to steal 2nd. Clark then walked the next batter and saw a potential double play ball turn into a jam as Little sailed the throw to second into right field, putting runners on the corners with 1 out. Franciscan was able to bring the run across without a hit as they pulled off a successful double steal to score the 4th run. Clark settled down after that getting a strikeout and pop up to end the inning. She kept the Mounties in the game as they struggled to score in the middle of the game, allowing only one infield single in the final 4 innings of regulation play.

The Mounties started to rally in the 6th. Abby Reitz (Greencastle, PA/Greencastle Antrim) led off with a single to center and then moved to second when Tawnya Holben (Pittsburgh, PA/Fox Chapel) singled down the right field line. With 1 down, Reitz stole 3rd, then was unable to advance as Pisczek dropped down a bunt and beat out a single to load the bases. Little came up big again as she hit a ball hard at the third basemen, who was able to make a play and force out the runner at 3rd, but allowed the run to score. They used more clutch hitting in the 7th to tie the game. Cochran led off with a double down the right field line, and then moved to third on a Brianna Benscoter (Bloomsburg, PA/Bloomsburg) grounded to third. Pinch hitter Hannah Ruby (Belleville, PA/Mifflin County) came through to tie the game as she hit a grounder into the 5-6 hole to score the run despite getting thrown out at first. Link added drama in the 7th as she dropped a blooper down the left field line and beat the throw to second for a double, but was unable to score. 

Clark was replaced in the 8th by Nina Shatzer (Saint Thomas, PA/James Buchanan). Shatzer allowed the lead off batter to reach on a hit by pitch, but saw DeFazio throw another stealer out to reset the inning. She allowed two other hits in the inning, but was able to strand the runners as she got a pinch hitter to pop up to first. The Mounties were unable to get any action in their at bat in the 8th, and saw Shatzer have a much easier 9th inning as she retired the Barons in order. In the bottom of the 9th, the Mounties were able to score the winning run without recording an out. DeFazio led off with a single back up the middle and was lifted for a pinch runner, Leanne Cardoso-Bastos (Hillside, NJ/David Brearly) . Cochran followed this up with a single to center of her own. With runners on 1st and 2nd with no outs, Benscoter drove a line drive double to the left center field gap to bring Cardoso-Bastos around to score the winning run.

Shatzer picked up the win for her two innings of scoreless work. the win moved her record to 5-3. Clark finished with 7 innings pitched, allowing 2 earned runs on 4 hits and 3 walks. She struck out 3. The Mounties pounded out 15 hits in the game. 8 of the 9 Mountie starters joined the hit party, with Cochran picking up 3, and Pisczek, Little, DeFazio and Link recording 2 a piece. 

The win moves the Mounties record to 31-8 and into the AMCC Championship Game. The AMCC tournament is a double-elimination tournament, which means they will need to be beat twice in a row tomorrow. They will take on the winner of Penn State Behrend and Franciscan at approximately 11:00 AM tomorrow.