KISSIMMEE, Fla. - The Manhattan College softball team has developed a pattern during its first four days of action at the Rebel Spring Games. The Lady Jaspers played two games for the third straight day on Tuesday, and for the third straight day, Manhattan won its first game only to lose the second and settle for splitting the pair. Erika Sullivan (Bay Shore, N.Y.) had her second brilliant pitching performance against Lafayette in as many days, as the Lady Jaspers (3-4) posted a 6-2 victory over the Leopards (2-5) in the morning before dropping a 4-2 decision to Colgate (9-3) at the Fortune Road Athletic Complex.
Against Lafayette, Kristina Walraven (Thompson Ridge, N.Y.) smacked a leadoff double to break out of an 0-for-18 slump. Walraven then scored on Ashley Rampino's (Manalapan, N.J.) RBI single. Unlike Monday's game against the Leopards, when Manhattan's first-inning run held up, the Lady Jaspers didn't stop hitting on Tuesday, tacking on five more runs in the top of the second. The rally started on a single by Monica Evangelista (Cedar Grove, N.J.), who scored on an RBI single by Amanda Babcock (Haverstraw, N.Y.). After an RBI single by Walraven and a Melissa Donnelly (Long Beach, N.Y.) single, Rampino belted a two-run double. Jaci Rahey (West Milford, N.J.) followed with an RBI single to give the Lady Jaspers a 6-0 lead.
After Sullivan held Lafayette scoreless for 10 consecutive innings over two games, the Leopards finally broke through with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth. Lafayette loaded the bases on a walk and two singles, then got on the board when Jordan Parsons lifted a sacrifice fly to right. The Leopards added another run when Cody Kugler grounded into a fielder's choice before Sullivan got Carly Feiro to pop out to end the inning.
Manhattan tallied eight hits in the game, led by Walraven's 2-for-3 effort and Rampino's 2-for-4 day at the plate. Rampino also drove in three runs, while Walraven scored twice. Sullivan (2-1) earned her second win over Lafayette in as many days. She gave up two runs on seven hits, struck out four and walked one.
Kerry Griffin was the only Lafayette player to collect more than one hit, going 2-for-3 with a run scored. After giving up just five Manhattan hits on Monday, Kasey Karr (2-2) was unable to get out of the second inning on Tuesday. She surrendered six runs on eight hits and walked two in 1.2 innings. Christine Hilcken threw 5.1 innings of relief and retired 14 straight Lady Jaspers after walking two in the third. She didn't give up a hit and struck out four.
In their matchup with Colgate, the Lady Jaspers plated an unearned run in the bottom of the first after Donnelly reached on an error and Rahey knocked her in with a double.
The Raiders tied the game on Emmie Dolfi's sac fly in the second, and took the lead with a run in the top of the third. Colgate increased its lead to 4-1 with a two-spot in the top of the fifth. Stephanie Hartquist drove in one run with a sacrifice fly to left field, then the Raiders added another tally on Nicole Siedhof's RBI single.
Manhattan put at least one runner on base in every inning from the third through the fifth, but didn't break through for another run until the bottom of the seventh. After a pair of groundouts, number nine hitter Jen Keller (Woodridge, N.J.) kept the game alive with a single. Walraven followed with an RBI double to send the tying run to the plate. However, Donnelly struck out to end the game and give the Raiders a 4-2 victory.
Keller had two of the Lady Jaspers' six hits against Colgate. She also scored a run. Walraven and Rahey each went 1-for-3 with an RBI, while Donnelly was 1-for-4 with a run scored. Rampino (0-3) went the distance in the circle, yielding four runs and seven hits while striking out two and walking six.
Alana Dyson and Nicole Siedhof both had two hits for the Raiders. Hartquist drove in a pair and also scored a run. Michelle Hollebeke (3-1) surrendered two runs (one earned) and six hits in a complete game effort. She also struck out four and didn't walk a batter.
The Lady Jaspers have the day off on Wednesday before wrapping up play at the Rebel Spring Games with a pair of contests on Thursday and two more on Friday. On Thursday, Manhattan takes on Army (4-4) at 9 a.m. and Brown (7-3) at 1 p.m.