Bridgewater, Va. - Mountie softball wrapped up the Bridgewater Invitational on Saturday morning with a pair of games against regional opponents Wilmington and Bridgewater, competing throughout the day and showing resilience after early challenges in both contests.
In the opener against Wilmington, head coach Michelle Ross rolled out a completely new starting lineup from the previous day, starting eight freshmen as the Mounties looked to evaluate young talent. The lineup change paid immediate dividends, as Mount Aloysius struck first in the bottom of the first inning. Freshman Kailey Lehman (Greensburg, Pa, Hempfield Area) came around to score on an RBI walk by fellow freshman Summer Campbell (Windber, Pa, Windber Area), giving the Mounties a 1-0 advantage.
The Mountie lead didn't last for long though. Wilmington responded with three runs in the third inning and added five more in the fourth to take control of the game, eventually pulling away for a 12-1 victory. The Quakers added four runs in the fifth to cap the scoring.
Mount Aloysius totaled two hits in the contest, with Lehman and freshman Lynae Mathieson (South Fork, Pa, Forest Hills) each recording a hit. Campbell reached base twice and drove in the Mounties' lone run. Freshman Isabella Shupp (Danville, Pa, Meadowbrook Christian School) started in the circle and was followed by freshman Payton Noll (Portage, Pa, Portage Area), as the Mounties continued to compete defensively despite the final score.
In the second game of the day against host Bridgewater, the Mounties again faced an early deficit, as the Eagles capitalized on early opportunities to score five runs over the first two innings.
Mount Aloysius answered in the third inning when senior Sarah Henninger (DuBois, Pa., DuBois) delivered an RBI single to put the Mounties on the board. The Mounties continued to chip away and closed the gap in the sixth inning when junior Alysha Cutri (Imperial, Pa., Bishop Canevin) launched a solo home run to left center, cutting the deficit to 5-2. The solo blast was the first of Cutri's collegiate career.
Cutri led Mount Aloysius at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a double and a home run. Sophomore Hanna Stedman (Washington, Pa., Trinity) and junior Morgan Hassen (Northern Cambria, Pa., Northern Cambria) also recorded hits as the Mounties finished with five hits in the contest.
In the circle, senior Jessica Koptcho (Mountain Top, Pa., Crestwood) pitched all six innings for Mount Aloysius. After allowing early runs, she settled in and held Bridgewater scoreless over the final four frames, limiting the Eagles to four hits and keeping the Mounties within reach late.
With the doubleheader loss, the Mounties fall to 0-4 early on in the 2026 season. They'll look to capture win #1 on the year next Sunday at Penn College. First pitch will be at 1:00 in Williamsport, PA. Second game will begin after a brief intermission in between games.
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