GAME 2 BOXSCORE
Albany, NY (April 14, 2005)- Margaret LaFex, Tina Buyea, and Kiera Fox all connected on homers to lead Manhattan to a 9-4 win over Albany in the second game of a double header this afternoon at Albany Field. The Great Danes posted an 8-1 win in the opener. The Lady Jaspers improve to 12-14 overall, their best start to a season since 2000. This was the first ever meeting between the two programs. Albany falls to 19-8, as the Great Danes take a loss for just the second time in their last 18 games.
In the second game, Manhattan got on the board first, plating an unearned run in the top of the first when Jennifer McCracken came around to score on a throwing error by the Albany shortstop.
The Great Danes answered with a run in the bottom of the frame to knot the score at 1-1 after one inning.
Fox led off the fourth inning with a solo blast to left center to give the Lady Jaspers a 2-1 lead. The round tripper was the seventh on the season for Fox, which moves her into a tie for second all-time for homers in a season, equaling Lisa Pigat's total in 1982, the first year of softball at Manhattan, Jennifer Drum's 1993 tally, and the total put up by current head coach Jennifer Fisher during the 1996 season. Fox is now just one four bagger shy of tying 2004 Manhattan College Athletic Hall of Fame inductee Danielle Yearick's 1993 total of eight home runs.
Albany would tally two runs in the fourth and one more in the fifth to take a 4-2 lead before Manhattan exploded for six runs in the top of the sixth.
After Fox led off the inning with a walk, Buyea smashed her first collegiate home run, sending the ball over the left field fence to knot the score at 4-4. Four batters later LaFex would score the go-ahead run on an Albany error before McCracken brought home two on a Great Dane error and Fox plated the sixth run of the inning with an RBI single, making the score 8-4 Manhattan.
LaFex would add the final run of the game with a solo shot to left, the first home run of her collegiate career.
Manhattan has now belted 16 home runs this season, with six players connecting on the first of their collegiate careers to add to Fox's total.
Liz Pennino earned her second win of the year, allowing four runs over five innings. Jill Medea twirled two perfect innings to secure the win, striking out three.
In the opener, Albany scored single runs in the first and second innings, and two in the third, fourth, and sixth, while Deirdre Langan drove in the lone Manhattan run with an RBI single in the top of the sixth in the 8-1 loss.
Buyea's sister Danielle went the distance for the Great Danes, allowing three hits and one run. Kristin Gelsleichter took the loss for the Lady Jaspers.
Manhattan will open up MAAC play this Saturday and Sunday, traveling to New Rochelle, NY for two games versus local and MAAC rival Iona on Saturday, before continuing to Fairfield, CT for a two game set with the Stags on Sunday. Game time on both days is 1:00 p.m.
