Manhattan University Athletics

Game One Box Score

Game Two Box Score 

RIVERDALE, N.Y. - The Manhattan College softball team earned a pair of walk-off wins on Wednesday afternoon at Gaelic Park.  Kate Bowen (Newtown, Conn.) belted a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Jaspers (3-4) a 2-0 victory in the first game of a twinbill with St. John's (5-17-1), then Andi Stallard (Katy, Texas) ripped the game-winning single in the bottom of the seventh to secure a 3-2 triumph in the nightcap.

St. John's threatened early in game one, loading the bases in the top of the first.  After leadoff hitter Chrissy Montez singled, Yvonne Rericha was safe on an error while attempting a sacrifice bunt.  Ashley Beza drew a two-out walk, but Amy Bright (Manlius, N.Y.) then retired Mackenna Neuroth on a fly ball to center to end the inning.

From there, Bright retired 10 straight Red Storm hitters until Amber Korras lifted a single to left leading off the top of the fifth.  Courtney Budynas tried to bunt Korras over, but Mickayla Romero (Las Vegas, Nev.) snagged her line drive and threw to first to complete a double play.

After the Jaspers went down in order in the seventh, the contest moved into extra innings still scoreless.  In the top of the eighth, pinch hitter Summer Comstock reached on a leadoff walk.  Kelsey Moyer then sent a grounder towards third, and she beat the throw from second to prevent a double play.  Montez followed with a single to put runners on first and second with one out, but Manhattan got out of the inning when Romero made a brilliant play on Rericha's sinking line drive, then doubled-up Montez at first.

Manhattan, which had been held to just a pair of one-out singles in the fourth until that point, finally broke the tie in the bottom of the ninth.  After Jen Keller (Woodridge, N.J.) grounded out to start the inning, Emily Cutler (Bloomingdale, N.J.) worked a walk.  Jocelin Whitmore (La Habra, Calif.) popped to second for the second out, bringing up Bowen.  She connected on a blast to right field for her second career walk-off home run, giving the Jaspers a 2-0 victory.

Bowen also singled in the fourth, giving her two of Manhattan's three hits in the game.  Elena Bowman (San Mateo, Calif.) collected the other Manhattan hit.  Bright (1-1) was brilliant in the circle for the second straight time.  She tossed a complete game, surrendering just four hits while striking out one and walking two to earn her first career shutout.

Beza (3-5) was just as impressive for St. John's.  She gave up two runs on three hits, struck out four and walked one.  Montez went 2-for-4 at the plate, as the Red Storm were limited to just four hits.

The Red Storm immediately got on the board when Montez hit a leadoff home run in game two, but Manhattan countered in the bottom half of the inning.  Cutler was hit by a pitch, then moved to second on Whitmore's sacrifice bunt.  Bowen was up next, and she reached on an error, putting runners on first and third with one out.  After Bowen stole second, Bowman was hit by a pitch to load the bases.  The Jaspers then knotted the score when Cutler trotted home on an errant throw by the St. John's catcher, who was trying to pick her off third.  Amanda Paxson (Cedar Grove, N.J.) walked to load the bases again with two down.  However, St. John's got out of the inning when Meghan McDevitt (Nutley, N.J.) grounded to third.

Both sides had chances, leaving runners on base in every half-inning, but it would remain 1-1 until the bottom of the fifth.  With two out, Amanda Babcock (Haverstraw, N.Y.) belted a home run to left center that gave the Jaspers a 2-1 advantage.  Paxson followed with a single and McDevitt walked, prompting a St. John's pitching change, and reliever Aleshia Link struck out Stallard to end the inning and keep it 2-1.

In the top of the seventh, however, St. John's took advantage of a Manhattan error to tie the game.  Budynas reached on a miscue to start the inning, and she moved to second on a bunt by Moyer.  Montez followed with a single to center, but Cutler's throw home was right on the mark and Budynas had to stop at third with the potential tying run.  With the infield playing back to cut off the runner trying to score, Rericha took advantage with a single to the hole at shortstop, loading the bases with one out.  After the run scored when Comstock was hit by a pitch, Bowen kept it tied by inducing a popup and a groundout.

Babcock was hit by a pitch leading off the bottom of the seventh, and she moved to second when Paxson was retired at first.  McDevitt followed with a grounder to short and St. John's tried to get the lead runner at third, but Babcock got there just before the tag, putting runners at the corners with one down.  With the winning run now 60 feet away, Stallard ended the contest with a ground ball to left field that gave the Jaspers a 3-2 victory.

Paxson and Stallard each posted two hits in game two, while Babcock was 1-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored.  Bowen (2-1) earned the win after surrendering just two runs (one earned) and scattering seven hits over seven innings.  She struck out four and walked two.

Montez and Moyer went a combined 4-for-7 for the Red Storm in game two.  Tori Free got the start in the circle and lasted 4.2 innings.  She yielded two runs (one earned) and four hits while striking out two and walking three.  Link (1-2) took the loss after giving up one run and two hits to go along with a pair of strikeouts in 1.2 innings of work.