POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - The Manhattan College softball team entered Thursday afternoon's doubleheader at Marist knowing that a loss would severely hurt its chances at qualifying for next weekend's Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Tournament. And the Lady Jaspers (24-20-1, 8-6 MAAC) left Gartland Field with the two wins they came for. Manhattan needed nine innings to post a 2-1 win in the first game, then notched a 6-1 victory over the Red Foxes (8-33, 2-10 MAAC) in game two of the twinbill. With the two victories, Manhattan extended its winning streak to a season-long six games.
Manhattan led 1-0 after the first batter of game one, as Kristina Walraven (Thompson Ridge, N.Y.) crushed a leadoff home run to left center field. It was Walraven's second home run in as many at-bats, including her final at-bat against Wagner on Tuesday, and her first career leadoff home run.
After leaving six runners on base over the first four innings, Marist tied the game in the bottom of the fifth. Ashley Corriss started the inning with a leadoff single, then went to second on a passed ball. Manhattan retired the next two hitters before Nicole DiVirgilio ripped a single to center that knocked in the run and knotted the score at 1-1.
Walraven doubled to open the eighth inning, then Monica Evangelista's (Cedar Grove, N.J.) perfectly placed bunt landed for an infield single. After Melissa Donnelly (Long Beach, N.Y.) struck out, Jaci Rahey (West Milford, N.J.) was intentionally walked, loading the bases with one down. Nicole Michel (Massapequa, N.Y.) was up next and she sent a line drive to third that was snagged by Marist third baseman McCallion Campbell, who beat Walraven back to the bag for the inning-ending force.
Amanda Babcock (Haverstraw, N.Y.) singled to left to open the ninth inning. Melissa Cascio (Kings Park, N.Y.) moved her to second with a sacrifice bunt, and Babcock then went to third on a wild pitch. After Ashley Rampino (Manalapan, N.J.) popped out, Jocelin Whitmore (La Habra, Calif.) sent a grounder to short that looked like it would end the inning, but Lindsay Durant muffed the throw to first. Babcock scored on the error to put Manhattan in front 2-1, and, aside from a two-out walk, Donnelly retired the Red Foxes in order in the bottom of the ninth to finish off the victory.
Walraven finished a triple short of the cycle in game one, going 3-for-4 with a home run, a double and an RBI. Michel went 2-for-4 at the plate, as Manhattan outhit Marist 8-6. Erika Sullivan (Bay Shore, N.Y.) got the start in the circle and went five innings. She gave up an unearned run and five hits, struck out two and walked four. Donnelly earned the win after surrendering just one hit while striking out three and walking two in four shutout innings.
Corriss was 2-for-3 with a run scored for Marist. Emily Osterhaus (2-11) went the distance in the circle, yielding two runs (one earned) on eight hits with six strikeouts and three walks.
After leaving the bases loaded in the top of the first in game two, Manhattan took the lead with a run in the third. Walraven started the inning with a single up the middle, and she moved all the way to third when Corriss' throw from center went into the Manhattan dugout. Evangelista followed with an RBI single to put the Lady Jaspers in front, 1-0.
Donnelly saw her streak of 22.1 consecutive scoreless innings come to an end when Marist notched an unearned tally in the bottom of the fourth. However, Manhattan immediately responded with a three-spot in the top of the fifth. After Evangelista walked and Donnelly singled, Rahey smashed a long three-run home run to right center that put the Lady Jaspers back in front, 4-1.
Manhattan added two more runs in the top of the sixth. A single by Evangelista gave Manhattan runners on first and third with one out, and the Lady Jaspers stole a run when Walraven swiped home on the back end of a double steal with pinch runner Kaitlin Rodriguez (Dumont, N.J.). After Rodriguez moved to third on an error, Rahey belted an RBI single to right that increased Manhattan's lead to 6-1.
The Lady Jaspers were outhit 8-7 in game two, but took advantage of five Marist errors to plate two unearned runs. Rahey went 2-for-4 with a run scored and four RBIs, while Evangelista was 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI. Walraven scored a pair of runs. Donnelly (7-9) pitched the first five innings to earn her second win of the day. She gave up one run on seven hits, struck out three and walked one. Rampino finished up in the circle, yielding a hit and striking out one in two scoreless innings.
Megan Lamoureux and Caitlin Schell both went 2-for-3 at the plate, while Lamoureux scored Marist's only run of the game. Danielle Koltz (2-8) took the loss after surrendering four runs (three earned) and four hits, while striking out six and walking five over 4.1 innings of work. Alanna Woody tossed the final 2.2 innings and gave up two runs (one earned0 on three hits. She also walked two.
The Lady Jaspers conclude the regular season by hosting Fairfield (23-19, 7-5 MAAC) for a doubleheader at 12 p.m. on Saturday. Manhattan and Fairfield, which shared the MAAC regular season title last year, are locked in a battle with Niagara for the final two spots in next weekend's MAAC Tournament. If the Lady Jaspers sweep the twinbill, they will guarantee themselves a place in the field.
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