GWYNEDD VALLEY, Pa. – The Neumann University softball team split a pair of games at Gwynedd Mercy University on Monday afternoon in Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) action. The Knights took the first game 9-6 in nine innings. The Griffins won the nightcap 11-8.
 
In game one, Julia Cox had four hits, batted in a run and scored a pair. Becky Guinto had two doubles and scored three runs. Lauren Wilkie started in the circle and pitched the complete 9.0 innings. She allowed six runs, three earned, on eight hits and struck out seven.
 
Neumann got on the board in the first on a single through the left side by Mary Cotton to score Guinto. Gwynedd answered with two runs in the bottom of the first to take a 2-1 lead.
 
The Knights tied it up in the third on a sacrifice fly by Sarah Murray to bring home Guinto. The Griffins added two runs in their half of the third to lead 4-2. Neumann took a 5-4 lead as it scored three unearned runs in the top of the fifth inning. With two outs, Jackie Schneider reached on an error by the second baseman. Cotton and Kendall Boardman hit back-to-back singles. Melissa Rozumalski then hit a two-run double.
 
Neumann added another unearned run in the sixth as Cox scored after another Griffin error. Gwynedd Mercy tied the game at six in the bottom of the seventh inning to send the game into extra innings.
 
In the top of the ninth, Cox hit an RBI single to score Marisa Giordano. Schneider then hit a two-run single to plate Guinto and Cox for a 9-6 lead. The Knights kept the Griffins off the scoreboard in the bottom of the ninth for the win.
 
In game two, Murray had three hits, including a homerun, scored three runs and knocked in a pair. Kara Grogan also had three knocks and scored two runs. Haley Broomell took the loss in the circle, going 6.0 innings. She allowed 11 runs, eight earned, and struck out five.
 
The Griffins put four runs on the board in the bottom of the first inning. Murray put the Knights on the board with a solo shot in the top of the first. Gwynedd Mercy added four more runs in the bottom of the second for an 8-1 lead after two.
 
The Knights put four runs on the board in the third inning off of five hits. Boardman hit a double to score Cox and Murray for an 8-5 game.
 
The teams then traded unearned runs in the fourth inning. The Griffins then added two more runs in the fifth inning for an 11-6 lead.
 
Murray led off the sixth inning with a double and came around to score on a single by Wilkie. Danielle Grayson led off the seventh inning with a solo homerun, but the Knights could not get any closer and dropped their first CSAC game.
 
Neumann (20-12, 17-1) will host Widener on Wednesday in non-conference action beginning at 3:30 PM. The Knights wrap up the regular season this weekend with a pair of CSAC doubleheaders against Cairn and Summit.