PURCHASE, N.Y. - 734 days.

That's how long it had been since the Purchase College softball team claimed a victory, but when the team finally broke through Sunday afternoon against the Dolphins of Mount Saint Vincent ... it felt so good!

Purchase earned the win by the score of 6-3, as junior Alexandria Perez (Bronx, NY) fueled the victory with a solo home run, a double, two RBIs and a run scored. 

After Mount Saint Vincent opened the contest with a run in the first inning, the Panthers answered back in the third frame with three runs. The first two came from Jade D'Errico (FR/Wantagh, NY) and Brianna Palermo (SO/Hyde Park, NY), as the duo scored back-to-back following an error and wild pitch by the Dolphins.

Later in the inning, Perez drilled a double to left field to score Kelly Agostini (SR/Centereach, NY) for first base to make it a 3-1 game. 

One inning later, Purchase got two more runs, as another error from the guests allowed the Panthers to pad their lead to 5-1. However, in the top of the fifth, the Dolphins managed to get those runs right back by scoring twice and cutting the deficit in half.

But Purchase wouldn't be denied in the contest.

After the teams switched sides in the frame, Perez led off the inning with a solo home run by blasting a 1-1 pitch to left field, easily clearing the fence. As she rounded the bases with a huge smile, she was greeted by her cheering/screaming teammates, as the group celebrated her first-career homer.

From there, Agostini and the Panther defense held off any Dolphin challenge to secure the team's first win since April 29, 2019. In the victory, Agostini pitched all seven innings and allowed just three runs (two earned) on six hits. She also recorded two strikeouts and finished with two hits at the plate. 

In game two, Mount Saint Vincent got its revenge though, as the Dolphins split the day with a 9-6 win.

The guests jumped out to an early 4-0 lead during the first two innings, before an RBI-double from Zanaia Godette (SO/Queens, NY) and an RBI-single from D'Errico in the bottom of the second cut the margin in half.

After a scoreless third frame, the Dolphins erupted for five runs over the fourth and fifth innings to push the contest to a 9-2 score. The Panthers continued to fight though, just like they have all season. D'Errico started the comeback attempt with an RBI-groundout in the sixth inning. 

Purchase then got back-to-back RBI-doubles from Agostini and Julia Marsala (FR/Shoreham, NY) in the seventh to make it 9-5. Finally, the hosts collected one more run in the frame, thanks to a Mount Saint Vincent error.

However, that was as close as the Panthers got, as the Dolphins secured the inning and win by the score of 9-6.

In the loss, Marsala led the way with three hits, an RBI and a run. Meanwhile, Godette, D'Errico and Jaiya Hewitt (JR/Kingston, NY) each finished with a pair of hits. 

With the split, the Panthers are now 1-22 overall and 1-17 in Skyline Conference games. As for Mount Saint Vincent, the Dolphins now sit at 5-11 and 4-8, respectively. 

Up next for the softball team is the home finale/Senior Day doubleheader against the Panthers of SUNY Old Westbury. The series scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. on May 8th and you can follow it here.