Manhattan-Eastern Illinois Box Score
KISSIMMEE, Fla. - After getting Monday off, the Manhattan College softball team was back in action at the Rebel Spring Games on Tuesday. The Lady Jaspers (3-7) played well, but ran into a pair of talented opponents, dropping an 8-1 decision to Eastern Illinois (11-5) before falling to Akron (10-6) by a 2-1 margin at the Osceola County Sports Complex.
In Manhattan's first game of the day, Eastern Illinois jumped in front early. The Panthers put a run on the board in the top of the first, then added two more on Melise Brown's second-inning home run. The Lady Jaspers responded in the bottom of the second, however, as Nicole Michel (Massapequa, N.Y.) belted her first home run of the season.
Eastern Illinois increased its lead to 4-1 in the top of the fourth, but Manhattan threatened in the fifth. The Lady Jaspers got back-to-back singles from Erika Sullivan (Bay Shore, N.Y.) and Kristina Walraven (Thompson Ridge, N.Y.), but failed to score, as the inning ended on a pair of groundouts. In the bottom of the sixth, Jaci Rahey (West Milford, N.J.) drew a leadoff walk and Michel reached on an error, giving Manhattan runners on first and second with nobody out. The runners moved up to second and third on a groundout by Kate Bowen (Newtown, Conn.), but had to hold when Carla Velasquez (Miami, Fla.) grounded to third. The rally ended when Amanda Babcock (Haverstraw, N.Y.) hit an inning-ending fly ball to center.
With two down in the top of the seventh, the Panthers' Kiley Holtz walked to load the bases. Amanda Bilina was up next, and she belted a grand slam to put Eastern Illinois up 8-1. The Lady Jaspers then went down quietly in the bottom half of the inning.
Walraven had two of Manhattan's six hits in the game, while Michel went 1-for-2 with her solo home run. She also drew a walked and reached on an error. Sullivan (1-2) threw a complete game, giving up eight runs on nine hits, striking out one and walking four.
Brown reached base all four times she game up for the Panthers. She was 2-for-2 with two walks. Brown scored three runs and drove in two others. Reynae Hutchinson also had two of Eastern Illinois' nine hits. Stephanie Maday (6-1) yielded just one run on six hits, struck out five and walked one in seven innings of work.
After Ashley Rampino (Manalapan, N.J.) worked her way out of trouble in second inning against Akron, the Zips scored their only two runs of the game in the bottom of the third. Alex Feltes and Katie Gross both singled, and they were driven home on Heather Bauer's two-out double to center field.
The Lady Jaspers stranded four runners over the first four innings before finally breaking through in the fifth. Meghan McDevitt (Nutley, N.J.) got the inning started with a single, then Jen Keller (Woodridge, N.J.) reached on an infield single. After a pair of fielder's choice ground balls, Michel ripped an RBI single to center that cut the Zips' lead in half. Rahey then drew a walk to load the bases, but the inning ended when Rampino popped to short.
It looked like Akron might get that run back when the Zips put runners on second and third with one out in the bottom of the fifth. However, Bauer sent a line drive back to Rampino, who doubled Feltes off third to complete the inning-ending double play.
Manhattan was unable to get the tying run across however, as Akron's Amanda Birkhimer retired the Lady Jaspers in order in both the sixth and seventh innings.
The Lady Jaspers were held to just four hits by Akron pitching, with Michel going 1-for-3 and driving in the team's only run. Rampino (1-3) suffered a tough-luck loss in the circle. She gave up two runs on five hits, struck out one and walked one in six innings of work.
For Akron, Feltes went 2-for-3 with a run scored and Bauer was 1-for-3 with two RBIs. Alex Reideman (2-2) earned the win after tossing four-plus innings in the circle. She surrendered one run on three hits with three strikeouts and two walks. Birkhimer retired 10 of the 11 batters she faced, giving up just one hit while striking out one and walking one over the final three innings to earn the save.
The Lady Jaspers conclude their trip to Florida with a pair of games on Wednesday. Manhattan takes on Colgate (4-7) at 1 p.m., then wraps up its stint at the Rebel Spring Games with a 3 p.m. matchup against Green Bay (5-6).
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