Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 MANSFIELD – Sophomore Danie Goff hit a go-ahead three-run home run in the sixth and allowed just one run over seven innings pitched to lead the Mansfield University softball team to a 5-2 victory in game two to earn a split with Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East foe Shepherd University on Tuesday afternoon, March 30 at Helen Lutes Field. The Mounties fell, 10-2 in game one.

With the game knotted at two in the bottom of the sixth, junior Meghan McGinley stayed red-hot at the plate and sparked the Mountaineers' (2-8, 2-8 PSAC East) rally with a one-out single. Junior Hannah Swartz reached on a fielder's choice and moved to second on a passed ball and over to third on a single by junior Abbey Woodard, bringing Goff to the plate. Goff didn't wait long to send her first home run over the leftfield wall to put the Mounties on top.

The Rams (26-5, 12-4 PSAC East) threatened with a runner in the seventh, but Goff never faltered, striking out two and securing the victory.

Goff (2-3) struck out five batters in the complete-game victory. Ashley Mayton allowed five earned in the loss, falling to 0-1 for the Rams.

The Mounties jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first after Hein and Snyder both came around to score thanks to a two-out single by McGinley.

Goff did not allow a hit through three innings, but Shepherd snuck across runs in the fourth and fifth to tie the game at two and set up the late-game heroics.

McGinley finished 2-for-4 with two RBI, while Hein, senior Joelle Snyder and Woodard all added hits and runs scored to lead the Mounties' offense. The Mounties' defense was nearly flawless in the nightcap and was led by Snyder at shortstop who was all over the place taking away Rams' hits. 

Olivia Reese and Nicole Purtell had RBI to lead the Rams' offense.

In the opener, Hein led off the Mounties' half of the first with a single and later scored on an RBI double by Snyder, who later scored on a single by McGinley.

However, the Rams struck for three runs in the top of the third to take their first lead of the afternoon, 3-2.

Shepherd matched that effort in he fourth to extend their lead to 6-2, before reaching the run rule with four more runs in the fifth.

Hannah Ruffner improved to 5-0 in the circle for the Rams and Alexis Easling (0-5) was handed the loss for the Mounties.

McGinley and Snyder each drove in runs for the Mounties, with Snyder adding a double. Snyder's two hits on the afternoon put her one shy of 100 career hits.  

The Mounties home doubleheader with Kutztown University on Friday afternoon is postponed due to weather in the forecast. Mansfield is set to travel to Kutztown on Saturday, April 3 for a PSAC doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m.