EMMITSBURG, Md. – Spurred by outstanding pitching and a two-run home run from Paige Sandidge, Lafayette opened the Mount St. Mary's Tournament with a 4-2 win over the hosts.
 
Leopard starter Kailee Sawai pitched into the seventh inning to collect her first win of the season. Sawai held Mount St. Mary's to two runs on five hits over 6.1 innings. Sophomore Morrigan Gardiner came out of the bullpen in the seventh. She struck out the first batter she faced and then surrendered an infield single. Gardiner ended the game by enticing Abigayle Perry to fly out to end the game.
 
The game was scoreless through five innings as Sawai and Mount St. Mary's starter Maddie Coleman combined to give up just one hit in the span.
 
The Leopards got their first hits of the afternoon in the fifth inning when they broke open the game. Freshman Megan Coyle led off with a single. Harlie Bickett's one-out double scored pinch runner Jasmine Nguyen for the first run of the game, and Bickett came around to score on the play after an errant throw from the outfield.
 
Sandidge gave the Leopards' some breathing room. With freshman Kylee Sweet aboard, Sandidge smashed a 1-2 pitch over the wall for her fifth career home run and the Leopards' first round-tripper of the season. Lafayette led 4-0.
 
Mount St. Mary's finally got to Sawai in the fifth when she gave up an RBI-single to Kaia Bonshock. The Leopards ended the inning on the play, cutting down a runner at the plate 9-2-1.
 
The Leopards took the 4-1 lead into seventh when they gave up a run after a lead-off double by Tori Bowles who eventually scored on an error.
 
Lafayette head coach Karavin Dew went to the bullpen for Gardiner. She got the final two outs of the inning to garner the first save of her career.
 
The Leopards will play Albany in the teams' second game of the day, starting around 3:30 p.m.