Rye Brook, N.Y. – The College of Mount Saint Vincent Softball team opened league play on Saturday with a pair of road wins at Purchase, downing the Panthers 6-2 in game one and 7-6 in nine innings in game two. Sophomore Mackenzie Heizer (Vacaville, Calif.) picked up the game two win in the circle, recording 16 strikeouts.
 
Mount Saint Vincent got on the board in game one with a pair of runs in the third inning when Casey Cuccio (Medford, N.Y.) scored on an error and Rachel Heizer (Vacaville, Calif.) drove in Kathleen Davis (Beacon, N.Y.) with a run scoring single.
 
The two run lead would stick until Purchase plated single runs in the fourth and sixth innings to knot the score at 2-2. With the game tied, the Mount plated four runs in the top half of the seventh inning to earn the league victory. The big blow in the frame with a two-run double from Kathryn Dalton (Northampton, Pa.) that delivered Davis and Joann Guerra (Bronx, N.Y.).
 
Dalton finished game one 2-for-4 with a run and two RBI, while Rachel Heizer went 3-for-4, with a double, a run scored and an RBI. Davis scored a pair of runs in the game for the Dolphins.
 
Rachel Heizer earned the win in the circle in relief in game one, coming on to work 4.0 innings, allowing one earned run and recording seven strikeouts. Davis worked 3.0 scoreless innings for the Dolphins, allowing one hit and posting one strikeout.
 
In game two, Mount Saint Vincent jumped out to a 6-1 lead with a big five run fifth inning. The Dolphins took advantage of four hits and a pair of Purchase errors in the inning to build the lead. Rianna Laughridge (Vacaville, Calif.), Kierstyn Bourdeau (Cheshire, Conn.) and Abigail Weaver (Stuttgart, Germany) each produced a run scoring base hit in the inning.
 
Leading by five runs in the bottom of the seventh, the Dolphins saw Purchase plate five runs to knot the score at 6-6. ToniAnn Licata delivered the key hit in the inning, belting a three-run home run for the Panthers.
 
After a scoreless eighth inning, the Dolphins broke through with the game winning run in the ninth. Rachel Heizer crossed with the deciding run when Laughridge reached on a miscue by the Panthers.
 
Bourdeau finished the game 3-for-4, with Dalton going 2-for-5 with two runs scored. Rachel Heizer also scored twice for the Dolphins in game two.
 
Sophomore Mackenzie Heizer (Vacaville, Calif.) earned the game two win and moved to 1-3 on the season after working 9.0 innings. She allowed six runs on six hits and struck out a season-high 16 batters.
 
With the sweep on Saturday, Mount Saint Vincent stands at 3-7 overall on the season and 2-0 in Skyline Conference play. 

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