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POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - In the opening game of the 2011 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championships, the second-seeded Manhattan College softball team (25-22) got a pair of home runs from Jaci Rahey (West Milford, N.J.), but ultimately came up just short, dropping a 4-3 decision to No. 3 seed Marist (33-20) at Gartland Field on Thursday afternoon. The Lady Jaspers now drop into the loser's bracket, and will be eliminated from the tournament with another loss.
Despite the contest taking place on Marist's home field, as the higher seed, Manhattan was the home team in the game. However, being the visitors didn't seem to phase the Red Foxes, as they immediately put a run on the board in the top of the first. Ashley Corriss started the game with a single up the middle, moved to second on Nicole DiVirgilio's groundout, and scored on an RBI single by Aly Klemmer.
Rahey belted her first home run of the game, a solo shot to right, in the bottom of the first, but Marist went back in front with a pair of runs in the top of the third. Sarah Carmody started the rally with a leadoff single to left center. DiVirgilio followed with a single to center, and pinch runner Nicole Van Loan took third when Kristina Walraven (Thompson Ridge, N.Y.) bobbled the ball on the play. Klemmer then grounded out, driving in Van Loan and advancing DiVirgilio to third. DiVirgilio later scored when Danielle Koltz lifted a sacrifice fly to right.
Marist put two runners on base in the fifth and again in the sixth, but failed to score each time. The Lady Jaspers then got back into the game with a sixth inning rally. Melissa Donnelly (Long Beach, N.Y.) started the inning with a double to right center, and she came around on Nicole Michel's (Massapequa, N.Y.) single to left. Michel got caught between first and second on the play, but got back to first underneath the tag. After a single by Kate Bowen (Newtown, Conn.), Amanda Babcock (Haverstraw, N.Y.) walked to load the bases with nobody out. Pinch hitter Jocelin Whitmore (La Habra, Calif.) popped up for the first out, then Ashley Rampino (Manalapan, N.J.) went down on strikes. Marist starter Emily Osterhaus got out of the jam with the lead when Walraven lined to short to end the inning.
After the Lady Jaspers easily got the first two outs in the top of the seventh, a pair of errors led to an unearned run. That run proved to be costly, as Rahey crushed her second homer of the game, a solo shot to center, in the bottom of the seventh. However, Manhattan was unable to put the tying run on base, as Donnelly grounded out, then Michel flied to center to end the game. With the win, Marist improved to 15-2 at Gartland Field this season, while Manhattan saw its five-game winning streak snapped.
The Lady Jaspers, who have lost their last four MAAC Tournament contests, outhit the Red Foxes 8-6 in the game. In addition to Rahey's two home runs, Michel also had a pair of hits to go along with an RBI. Donnelly (4-5) went five innings in the circle and took the loss. She gave up three runs (two earned) on six hits and walked two. Rampino allowed an unearned run, struck out one and walked two in two innings of hitless relief.
Carmody had two hits for Marist, while Klemmer was 1-for-3 with a run scored and two RBIs. Osterhaus (15-8) tossed a complete game in the circle, surrendering three runs on eight hits with four strikeouts and three walks.
Manhattan takes on defending champion Iona (27-20) at 1 p.m. on Friday in the first elimination game. The loser will be eliminated, while the winner takes on the loser of Friday's first game between Marist and Fairfield (30-20) in another elimination contest immediately after.
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