Saturday, April 18
Emmitsburg, MD
12:00 PM
Sacred Heart
16-26, 11-9
4
at
2
Mount St. Mary's (Md.)
14-24, 9-8
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sacred Heart | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 1 |
| Mount St. Mary's | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 |
Photo by: Katelynn Wiesniewski
Softball Splits Doubleheader at Mount St. Mary's
4/18/2026 8:54:00 PM | Softball
Freed hit her first career homer in the opener
EMMITSBURG, Md. – The Sacred Heart University softball team earned a split in a road Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) doubleheader on Saturday at Mount St. Mary's in Emmitsburg, Md. SHU took the opener by a 4-2 final score before falling in eight innings in the nightcap.
Team Records:
Sacred Heart (16-27, 11-10 MAAC)
Mount St. Mary's (15-24, 10-8 MAAC)
Game 1: SHU 4, Mount 2
Pitchers:
Emily Heath (SHU) – (W, 7.0 innings pitched, 1 earned run, 4-11 record)
Sophia Schmehl (Mount) – (L, 4.0 innings pitched, 4 earned runs, 4 strikeouts, 4-6 record)
Emmaleigh Zagrodnicheck (Mount) – (3.0 innings pitched, 0 earned runs)
Top Performers:
Cierra Bender – 2-3, 2 RBIs, 1 run, 1 home run, 1 walk
Kaelyn Freed – 1-3, 1 RBI, 1 run, 1 home run
How It Happened:
SHU wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, plating one in the first inning to go ahead 1-0. A hit-by-pitch and walk put two on with no outs, with two wild pitches leading to a run scored by Elle Leckrone.
The Pioneers added three more runs in the second to take a 4-0 lead. The inning started with a one-out solo home run from senior Kaelyn Freed, the first of her collegiate career. Cierra Bender doubled the advantage with a two-run jack to left-center field.
Emily Heath made the most of her run support, limiting the Mount to just two runs in a complete-game win. The senior won her fourth game of the year by allowing just six hits and one earned run.
Game 2: Mount 3, SHU 2 (8 Inn.)
Pitchers:
Emily Campion (SHU) – (L, 7.2 innings pitched, 1 earned run, 1 strikeout, 1-6 record)
Ashley Hibbard (Mount) – (W, 8.0 innings pitched, 1 earned run, 4 strikeouts, 6-4 record)
Top Performers:
Olivia Bibbo – 2-3, 1 run
Nicole Henke – 1-3, 1 RBI, 1 run, 1 home run
How It Happened:
After a scoreless first inning, the Pios again took advantage of the long ball to take a 1-0 lead in the nightcap. Nicole Henke blasted a solo shot in the top of the second to give the visitors the lead.
The Mount was ready with an answer, taking a 2-1 lead in the home half of the second.
Olivia Bibbo scored in the third to even the score at 2-2. The sophomore led off the inning with a single, finishing with two of SHU's hits in the game. Bibbo then got to third after two groundouts before scoring on an error.
From there, the pitchers took over, and the game went to extra innings, tied at 2-2. Emily Campion was throwing a great game, not allowing a hit over 3.1 innings before extras.
Unfortunately for the Pios, Avery Dinges got the Mount a one-out single in the eighth. Dinges, who leads the MAAC in steals, then stole second and scored on a groundout after another single.
Campion allowed just one earned run in her longest collegiate start.
Noteworthy:
Up Next:
The rubber match between the Pios and the Mount is slated to start tomorrow at noon at Our Lady of the Meadows Field.
Team Records:
Sacred Heart (16-27, 11-10 MAAC)
Mount St. Mary's (15-24, 10-8 MAAC)
Game 1: SHU 4, Mount 2
Pitchers:
Emily Heath (SHU) – (W, 7.0 innings pitched, 1 earned run, 4-11 record)
Sophia Schmehl (Mount) – (L, 4.0 innings pitched, 4 earned runs, 4 strikeouts, 4-6 record)
Emmaleigh Zagrodnicheck (Mount) – (3.0 innings pitched, 0 earned runs)
Top Performers:
Cierra Bender – 2-3, 2 RBIs, 1 run, 1 home run, 1 walk
Kaelyn Freed – 1-3, 1 RBI, 1 run, 1 home run
How It Happened:
SHU wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, plating one in the first inning to go ahead 1-0. A hit-by-pitch and walk put two on with no outs, with two wild pitches leading to a run scored by Elle Leckrone.
The Pioneers added three more runs in the second to take a 4-0 lead. The inning started with a one-out solo home run from senior Kaelyn Freed, the first of her collegiate career. Cierra Bender doubled the advantage with a two-run jack to left-center field.
Emily Heath made the most of her run support, limiting the Mount to just two runs in a complete-game win. The senior won her fourth game of the year by allowing just six hits and one earned run.
Game 2: Mount 3, SHU 2 (8 Inn.)
Pitchers:
Emily Campion (SHU) – (L, 7.2 innings pitched, 1 earned run, 1 strikeout, 1-6 record)
Ashley Hibbard (Mount) – (W, 8.0 innings pitched, 1 earned run, 4 strikeouts, 6-4 record)
Top Performers:
Olivia Bibbo – 2-3, 1 run
Nicole Henke – 1-3, 1 RBI, 1 run, 1 home run
How It Happened:
After a scoreless first inning, the Pios again took advantage of the long ball to take a 1-0 lead in the nightcap. Nicole Henke blasted a solo shot in the top of the second to give the visitors the lead.
The Mount was ready with an answer, taking a 2-1 lead in the home half of the second.
Olivia Bibbo scored in the third to even the score at 2-2. The sophomore led off the inning with a single, finishing with two of SHU's hits in the game. Bibbo then got to third after two groundouts before scoring on an error.
From there, the pitchers took over, and the game went to extra innings, tied at 2-2. Emily Campion was throwing a great game, not allowing a hit over 3.1 innings before extras.
Unfortunately for the Pios, Avery Dinges got the Mount a one-out single in the eighth. Dinges, who leads the MAAC in steals, then stole second and scored on a groundout after another single.
Campion allowed just one earned run in her longest collegiate start.
Noteworthy:
- SHU halted an eight-game losing streak in the opener.
- The Pios (.524) are now eight in the MAAC standings with six league games left.
- The fifth-eighth-seeded teams have conference win percentages between .524 and .591.
- Freed hit her first career homer in the opener.
- Henke hit her career-best sixth homer of the year.
- Bender hit her second home run of the year and the sixth of her career.
Up Next:
The rubber match between the Pios and the Mount is slated to start tomorrow at noon at Our Lady of the Meadows Field.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Heath, Emily (4-11)
L: Sophia Schmehl (4-6)
Batting:
2B: Bender, Cierra 1
HR: Bender, Cierra 1 ; Freed, Kaelyn 1
RBI: Bender, Cierra 2 ; Freed, Kaelyn 1
SH: Davis, Charlene 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Leckrone, Elle 2 ; Bender, Cierra 1 ; Freed, Kaelyn 1
SB: Barbera, Alexa 1
HBP: Leckrone, Elle 1
Batting:
HR: Avery Dinges 1
RBI: Avery Dinges 1 ; Sharon Manni 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Avery Dinges 1 ; Grace Koberg 1
SB: Avery Dinges 1
HBP: Kelsie Bandelow 1 ; Emma Tawney 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
3
R
2
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
INF
/ SoftballP/UTL
/ SoftballSaige Harper Paris 2024
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