ERIE, Pa. -- The Mount Aloysius Softball team saw their NCAA Tournament hopes dashed, on Saturday afternoon, as they fell in the AMCC Championship series, to Penn State Behrend, two games to none. Mount Aloysius had swept both the first round and semi-final round of the AMCC Tournament, which earned them a spot in the finals, against the #1-seed.

GAME 1
- Both pitchers produced stellar performances right from the start, as each team only had two hits through the first four innings.
- Mount Aloysius threatened in the top of the fifth, as their first two batters reached, with a Mattie Harr (Latrobe, PA, Greater Latrobe) single, followed by Tawnya Holben (Pittsburgh, PA, Fox Chapel) getting hit by a pitch. Unfortunately, they could only get the runners as far as third base, leaving two stranded in the frame.
- In the sixth, the Mounties again put pressure on the Lions. With one out, Alexa Nagy (Apollo, PA, Kiski Area) hit a deep line drive to center field. The Lion center fielder made an impressive catch over her head to retire Nagy and turned it into a double play, due to some confusion at second base, ending the inning. Had the ball been hit just a touch further, it likely would've been extra bases and scored the runner from first, but instead the score was still 0-0, heading to the bottom of the sixth.
- Penn State Behrend was able to score their first run, with three singles (two bunts) and a Mountie error. They scored their second run of the inning on a ground out. Without a ball leaving the infield, the Lions took a 2-0 lead.
- Holben and Makayla Weyant (Bedford, PA, Chestnut Ridge) each singled with two outs, bringing the go-ahead run to the plate in the final at-bat for the Mounties, but were unable to score, ending the game at 2-0.

GAME 2
- Different pitchers in Game Two produced similar results, as the teams combined for seven total hits and only one run.
- The lone run of the game, came in the bottom of the fifth for Penn State Behrend, when they used two hits to put a runner at third with one out. A sacrifice fly to left field brought the runner home, but the ball was knocked loose at home plate on a throw by Kayla Hopkins (Canonsburg, PA, Canon McMillan), which would've prevented the run and been the third out.
- Mount Aloysius again threatened in the top of the seventh inning, as Weyant singled again with two outs, where she represented the winning run. Lexi Wilt (Shanksville, PA, Shanksville-Stonycreek) had reached on an error, earlier in the inning, giving the Mounties two runners on. A foul pop to first base ended the Mountie threat and their tournament run.
- Game Two did not see the Mounties get a runner to third base.

HIGHLIGHTS
- Holben produced the only multi-hit game of the day for the Mounties, going 2-for-2 in Game One, while reaching base in her other plate appearance on the HBP.
- Weyant had a hit in each game, with both of them coming in the seventh inning with two outs.
- Despite both earning a loss in their respective games, Wilt and Game Two starter, Madison Hillard (Greenville, PA, Greenville), allowed only eight total hits to the Lions over 12 innings. Each pitcher only surrendered one earned run, but lacked the run support to earn victories.

Mount Aloysius ends the 2021 campaign with a 15-10-1 overall record. They played in the AMCC Championship for the third consecutive tournament, having won the last two, despite having only four players that had played at Mount Aloysius, prior to this season. They look to return a majority of their young group in 2022, while making a push for their third AMCC Title.