Winchester, Va. -- The Mount Aloysius Baseball team opened up the 2021 season, on Saturday afternoon, when they traveled to play a doubleheader with Shenandoah University. Shenandoah came into the matchup 13th-ranked team in the Week 2 edition of the D3Baseball.com Top 25 Poll. They began the season ranked 17th, before getting bumped ahead four spots.

Game 1
- The Mounties struck first in the top of the first inning, as they loaded the bases with one out. Troy Emert (Rockwood, PA, Rockwood) drove in the first run of the new season, on a sacrifice fly to left field. The Mounties left the other two on base to finish the half-inning, ahead 1-0.
- Shenandoah evened the game in the bottom of the first. After two quick outs, a walk and two singles off Mountie starter, Creek Miller (Lakewood, OH, Lakewood), scored the Hornets first run.
- In the second inning, only one runner reached base for either team. The third inning saw the Mounties get a base runner, as Tyler Suder (Boswell, PA, North Star) picked up his second hit of the game and subsequently stole second. He would not be brought around to score, leaving the score 1-1 after two and a half innings.
- The Hornets took their first lead of the day in the bottom of the third, thanks to three hits in the inning. 2-1 Shenandoah
- Mount Aloysius took back the lead in the top of the fourth. With one out, Ryan Leonard (James Creek, PA, Tussey Mountain) singled to right field. An error on a fly ball hit by Joshua Brown (Manassas, VA, Osbourn Park) allowed baserunners to advance to second and third, with one out. Small ball helped the Mounties to score two runs as Jared Houser (State College, PA, State College) and Brent Creehan (Westmoreland, PA, Penn Trafford) each laid down sacrifice bunts to squeeze home both runners, making it 3-2 Mounties.
- In the bottom of the fourth, Miller allowed one base runner via walk and was relieved by Douglas Cannon (Valencia, PA, Mars Area). A throwing error by Suder and a walk, loaded the bases with one out for the Hornets. Cannon induced a 5-4-3 double play to get out of the jam and keep the Mounties ahead, 3-2.
- The fifth inning went by quick as each team faced the minimum amount of hitters. In the top of the sixth, the Mounties left two runners in scoring position without scoring, missing out on a great opportunity, but still held the lead.
- Shenandoah's first hitter in the sixth grounded back to Cannon for the first out. The next two hitters produced a single and a triple, back to back, to tie the game and put a runner at third with one out. The Hornets squeezed the runner home with a bunt to get back in front, 4-3, heading to the final frame.
- In the seventh inning, Shenandoah brought in their closer to end the game. With two outs and a runner on second, the Mounties used Senior, Patrick Mahon (Pittsburgh, PA, Mount Lebanon), as a pinch-hitter. Mahon singled in the tying run, then advanced to second on an error by the Hornet leftfielder. Emert followed Mahon with a double down the left field line, driving in the go-ahead run, his second RBI of the game. Mounties led 5-4, heading to the bottom of the seventh.
- Mount Aloysius brought in Nick Lagnese (North Huntingdon, PA, Norwin) to close the game in the Hornets half of the seventh inning. Two hits and a passed ball led to the tying run crossing the plate, with one out. The Hornets would go on to load the bases before  was brought in to relieve Lagnese. Perrone allowed a single to drive in the winning run. Shenandoah picked up the win in game one of the doubleheader, 6-5. Lagnese was pegged with the losing decision.

Game 2
- Shenandoah started the scoring in the bottom of the first inning, after a scoreless top-half. A leadoff walk by Mountie starter, Dylan Coyle (Canonsburg, PA, Canon-McMillan), came back to bite the visitors when a two-out triple drove in the run, putting the Hornets up 1-0.
- After another scoreless top-half, Shenandoah loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the second. The Mounties got out of the jam thanks to a double-play, ending with Leonard throwing out a runner at home plate for the third out.
- The third inning saw the Mounties go three-up-three-down and the Hornets leave one runner stranded, leaving the score at 1-0 heading to the fourth inning. Mount Aloysius sent the minimum to the plate in the fourth inning, as well.
- A hit and a hit-by-pitch put two runners on with one our for Shenandoah in the fourth. On a strikeout by Coyle for the second out, both Hornet runners stole a base, putting runners at second and third. A single to centerfield plated both runs, making it 3-0 in favor of the Hornets.
- The Mounties put three runners on base in the fifth inning, with one out thanks to one hit, one HBP, and one walk. Following a strikeout, Suder reached on a throwing error by the Shenandoah shortstop, who had just entered the game as a defensive substitution. The error allowed two Mountie runners to score, closing the gap to 3-2.
- Mount Aloysius brought in lefty, Seth Smith (Mapelton Depot, PA, Mount Union), in relief to start the bottom of the fifth. Smith walked the first batter, but retired the next three, leaving the score at 3-2.
- Pat Mahon picked up his second hit of the day, as he singled. Trap Wentling (Greenville, PA, Greenville) pinch ran for Mahon and advanced to second on a ground ball by Leonard. Joshua Brown doubled down the leftfield line with two outs, scoring Wentling from second to tie the game. Brown advanced to third base on a wild pitch, as Aidan Bell (Woodbridge, VA, Prince William County) entered the game as a pinch-hitter for Jared Houser. Bell put his only at-bat of the day to good use and singled to left-center, scoring Brown from third. Mount Aloysius headed to the bottom of the sixth, with a 4-3 lead.
- Two singles put runners at first and third for Shenandoah with one out. The Hornets squeezed home their fourth run, tying the game at four.
- In the top half of the seventh, the Mounties had the bases loaded and two outs without picking up a hit. Jeremy Iellimo (Arnold, PA, Valley Area) and Cody Smith (Loysville, PA, West Perry) scored on an error by the Hornet secondbasemen, giving the Mounties a 6-4 lead, heading to the last half-inning.
- Seth Smith walked two of the first three hitters in the seventh, before being lifted in favor of Cannon's second stint of relief on the day. Cannon retired both of the hitters he faced, earning the save and preserving the Mounties 6-4 victory.

Highlights
- Pat Mahon made both of his hits count on the day, driving in one run in Game 1 and his spot scoring in Game 2, following his second hit.
- Seth Smith earned his first career victory as a Mountie. He allowed one run over 2.1 innings in relief. Another first, Cannon picked up his first career save in the game, as well.
- Troy Emert produced a team-high two RBIs on the day, both coming in the Game 1 loss.
- Aidan Bell used his first collegiate hit to produce his first RBI, on the same play.
- The Mounties split earned them their first-ever win against Shenandoah, in 14 tries. The win was their first against a ranked-opponent since they beat, #12 La Roche, during the 2016 AMCC tournament. It was their first regular season win against a ranked-opponent since beating, #11 Marietta, back on April 2, 2014.

Up Next
The Mounties are scheduled to travel back to Virginia, next Saturday, to take on Mary Baldwin in a twin-bill, starting at 2:00 PM. They are also set for a rematch with Shenandoah, which will be played as the regular season finale, at home on May 2. It will be the first time that Mount Aloysius will host the Hornets, in the history of the series.