MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. -- The Mount Aloysius Softball team wrapped up their Spring Break trip to Myrtle Beach, on Friday, with a split against Vermont State-Castleton and Mount Saint Vincent. They were 2-2 over the preceding two days, going 3-3 for the final leg.

On Wednesday, the first day back from an off-day, the Mounties played Keystone and UMass-Boston. Opening up with Keystone, the Mounties struggled to score, despite doubling the Giants' hit total. Keystone scratched across runs in the third and fourth to grab a 2-0 lead. Annalyn Isaacs (Mars, Pa. / Mars) singled, in the sixth, to drive in a run, but the Mounties would fall, 2-1. Against UMass-Boston, the pitching was phenomenal on both sides. The game was scoreless through the first seven innings, leading to extras. Whitney Cole (McDonald, Pa. / South Fayette) drove in the first run of the game, for the Mounties, giving them a 1-0 lead in the top half of the eighth. The Beacons answered with a run, in the bottom half to send the game into the ninth inning, tied at one. In the ninth, UMass-Boston held the Mounties scoreless and then scored on an error, in the bottom to win the game, 2-1. Sierra Walters (East Freedom, Pa. / Claysburg-Kimmel) tossed 8.1 innings for Mount Aloysius and allowed just three hits, with both runs being unearned.

After the setbacks on Wednesday, the Mounties' luck turned around on Thursday. In the opener against Haskell Indian Nations, Mount Aloysius took a 1-0 lead, in the second inning on an RBI single by Maya Capozzoli (Camp Hill, Pa. / Cedar Cliff). After Haskell tied the game in the fourth inning, Isabella Marquez (Greensburg, Pa. / Greensburg Central Catholic) and Aisy Myers (Sidman, Pa. / Forest Hills) each delivered RBI singles, putting the Mounties ahead 3-1. Haskell pushed one more run across, but the Mounties held strong, earning a much-needed, 3-2 victory. They kept that momentum in their second game, topping Gwynedd Mercy, 8-0. They got a 3-for-3 performance from Sarah Henninger (DuBois, Pa. / DuBois), who also scored twice and drove in a run. Isaacs and Grace Gardini (York, Pa. / York Catholic) each added two RBIs, in the victory.

Opening up the final day, the Mounties started against Vermont State-Castleton. They took a 2-0 lead, by virtue of a Capozzoli sac fly and an RBI single by Maggie Cypher (Kittanning, Pa. / Armstrong). Unfortunately, the Spartans produced four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, taking a two-run deficit and flipping it on its head. Mount Aloysius threatened in the sixth, but were unable to score, falling to the Spartans, 4-2. In the finale, there was more offense from the Mounties. They opened the game with an RBI single by Myers, grabbing a 1-0 lead. After the Dolphins scored twice in their half of the second, the Mounties immediately answered with two of their own to take the lead back, 3-2. Mount Saint Vincent then scored to knot the game at three, before the Mounties took the lead, again, on a Sophie Smith (Mapleton Depot, Pa. / Mount Union) single. They added two insurance runs on a two-run double by Isaacs, in the fifth inning, extending the lead to 6-3. Brenna Watts (Thompsontown, Pa. / East Juniata) held strong, in the circle, keeping the Dolphins off the board in her four innings of work, while striking out five batters and earning the victory.

Mount Aloysius is set to open up their northern schedule, on Wednesday, when they travel to Bethany for a doubleheader with the Bison.