Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
Click here to purchase the 2011 Manhattan Softball Yearbook
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. - The Manhattan College softball team entered the final day of the regular season with a place in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championships already secure. But that didn't mean the Lady Jaspers had nothing to play for. Manhattan had a chance to set a school record for MAAC wins, move up to the No. 2 seed in the MAAC Tournament, and knock off the defending conference champions. With a doubleheader sweep at Iona (27-19, 11-5 MAAC), Manhattan (25-21, 12-4 MAAC) achieved all three objectives. The Lady Jaspers won the first game 3-2 in eight innings, then notched a 3-0 triumph in game two at Rice Oval Field.
The pitching matchup in game one was Melissa Donnelly (Long Beach, N.Y.) for Manhattan against Iona's Sarah Jackson, last season's MAAC Pitcher of the Year. The dueling aces were up to the task, matching zeroes until the fourth.
Manhattan loaded the bases with two down in the top half of the inning, but Jackson retired Jen Keller (Woodridge, N.J.) on a flyout to center to end the inning. Iona then broke through for the game's first run in the bottom of the fourth. Alyssa Maiese led off the inning with a single, but was erased when pinch hitter Katie Jansson tried to put down a sacrifice bunt and ended up bouncing into a fielder's choice. After Allyssa James was hit by a pitch, Chelsea Sheehan delivered an RBI single to center field. James was thrown out trying to advance from first to third on the play, ending the inning.
The Lady Jaspers knotted the score in the top of the sixth. Monica Evangelista (Cedar Grove, N.J.) started the inning with a single to deep short, then moved to second on Jaci Rahey's (West Milford, N.J.) single to right. After Donnelly popped up, Nicole Michel (Massapequa, N.Y.) ripped a game-tying RBI single to left center. Iona had a chance to win in the bottom of the seventh, putting two runners on with one out before Donnelly struck out Marisa Newman, then got Deanne Algeo to pop up, sending the contest into extra innings.
In the top of the eighth, Rahey drew a one-out walk, then was lifted for pinch runner Amanda Berrios (Carteret, N.J.). Donnelly followed with a single, and the runners moved to second and third on Michel's deep fly ball to right. That brought up Kate Bowen (Newtown, Conn.), who once again came up big in an RBI situation, delivering a base hit that knocked in both base runners. Iona pulled within 3-2 on Jodi Petersen's solo homer with one down in the bottom of the eighth, and the Gaels put the tying run on base when Jansson walked. However, Manhattan finished off the win when Melanie Gettins flied to center. The Lady Jaspers' 3-2 victory snapped Iona's 10-game winning streak.
The Lady Jaspers collected seven hits in game one, led by two each from Rahey and Donnelly. Donnelly also scored a run, while Bowen was 1-for-2 with two RBIs. Donnelly (4-4) improved to 4-1 over her last five games in the circle after yielding two runs on seven hits, striking out two and walking three in eight innings.
Petersen and Tessa Earley both had two of Iona's seven hits. Jackson (13-7) allowed three runs on seven hits while striking out four and walking three in a complete game effort.
In game two, the Lady Jaspers picked up their school-record 12th MAAC victory with a 3-0 triumph. Manhattan got on the board right away, putting a run on the board in the top of the first. Kristina Walraven (Thompson Ridge, N.Y.) walked leading off the game, then moved to second on a passed ball, took third on Evangelista's sacrifice bunt, and scored on an infield single by Donnelly.
Manhattan added another run in the fourth when Michel legged out a leadoff triple, then pinch runner Megan Weaver (Congers, N.Y.) came home on a Bowen single. After Erika Sullivan (Bay Shore, N.Y.) reached on an error, Walraven singled to load the bases. However, the inning ended on Evangelista's fly ball to right.
In her next at bat, Evangelista reached on an error leading off the seventh. She then took second on a wild pitch. After Donnelly walked, Michel lifted a fly ball to center field that was deep enough to move Evangelista to third with two out. That brought up Bowen, who delivered an RBI single to left that made it 3-0.
Meanwhile, Sullivan was completely dominant in the circle. She faced just two batters more than the minimum, allowing just a leadoff single in the third and a one-out walk in the sixth. Sullivan (11-7) struck out three and walked one in the one-hit shutout. It was the Lady Jaspers' fifth straight win, and their eighth in the last nine games.
At the plate, Bowen led the way for the Lady Jaspers with a 3-for-4 effort. She also drove in a pair of runs. Michel went 2-for-4 in the game, while Donnelly was 1-for-3 with an RBI. Overall, Manhattan collected eight hits in game two.
James had the only Iona hit in the contest. Maiese (12-8) went all seven innings in the circle, surrendering three runs (one earned) on eight hits, striking out five and walking four.
"Right now our pitching's coming together," Head Coach Tom Pardalis said. "We're peaking at just the right time. We're playing real solid defense, we're getting timely hits, and our pitching has been outstanding. Donnelly and Sullivan were outstanding today."
The second-seeded Lady Jaspers open the MAAC Tournament at 12 p.m. on Thursday against host Marist (32-20, 12-4 MAAC), the No. 3 seed, at Gartland Field in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Manhattan swept a doubleheader against the Red Foxes at Gaelic Park on April 17, winning both games 9-6. On Friday, Manhattan will face either top-seeded Fairfield (29-20, 13-3 MAAC) or No. 4 Iona.
To follow Manhattan Athletics on Twitter, go to twitter.com/GoJaspers or visit Manhattan's Facebook fan page.
