Manhattan University Athletics

Game One Box Score

Game Two Box Score 

NEW YORK ? Danielle Just's (Woodcliff Lake, N.J.) two-out, two-run double in the top of the sixth inning broke a 0-0 tie and propelled the Manhattan College softball team (10-22) to a 2-1 victory in the second game of a doubleheader against Columbia (12-26) at the Baker Athletic Complex on Thursday.  In game one, Just belted a two-run double to break a 1-1 deadlock and give the Lady Jaspers the lead for good en route to a 6-2 win.

The Lady Jaspers got on the board early in game one, pushing a run across in the top of the first.  Melissa Donnelly (Long Beach, N.Y.) singled leading off the game, took second on a passed ball, moved to third on a groundout, and scored when Ashley Rampino (Manalapan, N.J.) hit into a fielder's choice.  Columbia tied it on an RBI single by Anne Marie Skylis in the bottom of the second.

Monica Evangelista (Cedar Grove, N.J.) started Manhattan's third-inning rally with a single to center.  After Donnelly reached on an error, Erika Sullivan (Bay Shore, N.Y.) bunted the runners over to second and third.  Rampino flied out to center field for the second out before Just sent one to the wall in right center, giving Manhattan the lead.

The Lions got one run back with an unearned tally in the bottom of the third, but Manhattan increased its lead to 5-2 in the top of the fifth when starting pitcher Sullivan helped her own cause by smashing her first career home run, a line drive that just cleared the wall in left field.  Manhattan added an insurance run on a Donnelly RBI single in the top of the seventh.  The first two Columbia hitters singled in the bottom of the seventh before Rampino shut the door to seal the 6-2 victory.

Hitting in the leadoff spot for the first time this season, Donnelly went 3-for-4 and scored three runs.  As a team, the Lady Jaspers registered eight hits.  In addition to going 1-for-3 with a two-run homer at the plate, Sullivan (1-8) earned her first win of the season in the circle.  She went five innings and gave up two runs (one earned) on five hits and struck out one.  Rampino gave up two hits and struck out one over the final two innings to pick up her first save of the season.

Stephanie Yagi went 2-for-3 at the plate for Columbia, as the Lions belted seven hits as a team.  Jackie Ecker was 1-for-3 with a run scored.  Erica Clauss (3-5) took the loss after surrendering five runs (two earned) and six hits in five innings.  Jessica Rakonza gave up one run and two hits with one strikeout in two innings of work.

Game two started off as a pitcher's duel between Rampino and Maggie Johnson.  Columbia got back-to-back singles from Keli Leong and Karen Tulig leading off the bottom of the first, but Rampino got out of the inning with a fly ball to left and a pair of strikeouts.  After the first two Lions reached base in the bottom of the fourth, Donnelly was called upon in relief.  She struck out Ecker and Yagi, then Skylis flied to center to end the inning.

Manhattan, meanwhile, got a hit in each inning from the second to the fifth, but didn't have multiple runners reach base until the top of the sixth.  Donnelly beat out a ground ball to third base for an infield single, then Sullivan's single to left gave the Lady Jaspers two runners on with one out.  After Nicole Michel (Massapequa, N.Y.) struck out, Just, who had just one RBI all season prior to Thursday, delivered her second two-run double of the twinbill to give Manhattan the lead.

With the Lady Jaspers clinging to a 2-0 lead, Columbia rallied in the bottom of the seventh.  Skylis started the inning with a single to right center, then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt.  After Leong popped up for the second out, Tulig kept the game going with an infield single to deep short.  Dani Pineda followed and blasted a fly ball to deep right center that just missed clearing the fence for a walk-off three-run homer.  Instead, it was an RBI double that put the winning run on second base with two out.  However, Donnelly got Johnson out on a popup to second, and Manhattan secured a 2-1 victory and its third doubleheader sweep of the season.

Jaci Rahey (West Milford, N.J.) was 3-for-3 with a double in game two, while Just and Sullivan each went 2-for-3 at the plate.  Rampino tossed three scoreless innings in the circle.  She yielded four hits, struck out three and walked one.  Donnelly (3-7) earned the win after giving up one run and four hits while striking out three and walking one in four innings.

For the Lions, Tulig went 3-for-3 and Leong had a 2-for-4 day at the plate.  Johnson (6-12) pitched a complete game, giving up two runs and eight hits with five strikeouts and a walk.