Manhattan University Athletics

Game One Box Score

Game Two Box Score 

RIVERDALE, N.Y. ? Erika Sullivan (Bay Shore, N.Y.) hurled a three-hit shutout in game two, and Danielle Just (Woodcliff Lake, N.J.) had five RBIs in the twinbill, as the Manhattan College softball team (15-23, 7-3 MAAC) swept a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) doubleheader against Saint Peter's (8-18, 1-7 MAAC) at Gaelic Park on Friday afternoon.  The Lady Jaspers cruised to a 13-3 victory in game one, then won the nightcap 4-0 on the strength of Sullivan's gem.

After scoring a run on Just's RBI single in the bottom of the first in game one, Manhattan broke the game open with a seven-run second.  Kara Cokeley (Pearl River, N.Y.) got the inning started with a single to left field.  Melissa Cascio (Kings Park, N.Y.) walked, then Amanda Genovese (Bethany, Conn.) knocked in Cokeley with a double to left.  Melissa Donnelly (Long Beach, N.Y.) followed with an RBI single, and Genovese came home on a wild pitch.  After Ashley Rampino (Manalapan, N.J.) walked, Just cleared the bases with a two-run triple to right.  Just scored on Nicole Michel's (Massapequa, N.Y.) RBI single, then Cokeley drove in Michel on her second hit of the inning, a double to left.

Saint Peter's got on the board with a run in the top of the third before the Lady Jaspers added three more in their half of the inning.  The big blow in the inning was a two-run single by Kristina Walraven (Thompson Ridge, N.Y.).  After the Peahens scored two in the top of the fourth, Manhattan put up a two-spot in the bottom of the fourth.  Genovese roped her second RBI double of the game, then scored on a passed ball.

Rampino retired the Peahens 1-2-3 in the top of the fifth to finish off the victory, which was shortened to five innings because of the eight-run mercy rule.

Manhattan, which scored in every inning, finished with 12 hits in game one, and every starter scored at least one run.  Genovese led the way with a 3-for-3 effort.  She also drove in a pair and scored three times.  Just was 2-for-3 with three RBIs, while Cokeley went 2-for-2.  Donnelly went 2-for-3 with two runs scored in game one, and Walraven was 1-for-4 with two RBIs.  Rampino (7-7), who got plenty of support from her offense, yielded just three runs and four hits while striking out six and walking four in a five-inning complete game.

The Peahens had just four hits as a team in game one.  Ariana Payan and Jillian Magee each had a hit and drove in a run.  Tricia Reingle (6-6) started in the circle and lasted three innings.  She gave up 11 runs (10 earned) and 11 hits, struck out four, and walked three.  Stefanie Marrs worked the fourth, giving up a hit and two unearned runs while also recording three strikeouts.

After winning game one with dominant hitting, Manhattan won game two thanks to some dominant pitching.  Sullivan (4-8), the current MAAC Pitcher of the Week, had easily her best start of the season.  She struck out seven and walked just one in a three-hit shutout.  Sullivan retired the first six batters she faced before Ashley Brown's bunt single leading off the third.  Saint Peter's had two runners on for the only time in the game after Sullivan issued a one-out walk to Erin Archer, but Sullivan retired the next 10 batters she faced from that point until Payan's two-out double in the sixth.

Sullivan got all the offense she needed in the bottom of the first.  Walraven reached on a leadoff walk and moved to second on Sullivan's sacrifice bunt.  Sullivan was safe on a throwing error, then Rampino was hit by a pitch to load the bases.  Just followed with a two-run single that chased Saint Peter's starter Nicole Schnecker.  Marrs came in to relieve her and retired the first three batters she faced to get out of the inning.

Both pitchers cruised right along until the bottom of the fifth, when the Lady Jaspers tacked on an insurance run.  Walraven started the inning with a single to right field, then stole second.  After Sullivan flied to center, Rampino drove in Walraven with a single up the middle.  Manhattan pushed another run across in the bottom of the sixth when Cascio scored on Donnelly's RBI single.

Seven of the nine Manhattan starters had at least one hit in game two, as the Lady Jaspers collected eight hits as a team.  Walraven was the only Manhattan hitter with a multi-hit effort in game two.  She went 2-for-3 with two runs scored.  Just went 1-for-3 with two RBIs.

Payan, Brown and Jackie Cross had the three Saint Peter's hits in game two, all going 1-for-3 at the plate.  Schnecker (1-5), who failed to record an out, took the loss in the circle for the Peahens.  She faced four batters, allowing two runs (one earned) and one hit with a walk.  Marrs was solid in six innings of relief, giving up two runs and scattering seven hits while striking out two and walking two.