Manhattan University Athletics

RIVERDALE, N.Y. – On the day it honored the victims and survivors of the Dec. 14 tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., the Manhattan College softball team gave the Newtown residents in attendance plenty to cheer about, sweeping its first Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) doubleheader of the season.  Behind a pair of home runs from Elena Bowman (San Mateo, Calif.), the Jaspers posted a 7-2 victory in the first game.  Manhattan (10-14, 2-0 MAAC) then got a three-run blast from Amanda Babcock (Haverstraw, N.Y.) to notch a 4-1 win over the Peacocks (5-28, 1-3 MAAC) in game two of the twinbill at Gaelic Park on Saturday afternoon.

As part of a special pregame ceremony honoring the victims, and the students at Sandy Hook in attendance took the field with the Jaspers during pregame introductions.  Following the national anthem, the players from both teams joined hands with the Sandy Hook students for a 26-second moment of silence (one for each of the victims).  Three fourth-graders at Sandy Hook who survived the tragedy then each threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

“The ceremony was awesome,” said Kate Bowen, the Newtown native who was the Jaspers' starting pitcher in the game.  “We had about 11 kids here.  It was an awesome thing for the Sandy Hook kids to run out with us.  I think they had a great time.  It's something that as a team we wanted to do and just remind everyone to never forget.”

“Kate did a great job organizing this.  It was tremendous,” Head Coach Tom Pardalis said.  “It was something close to her heart.  She wanted to make sure this day went well, and it did.  It couldn't have gone any better.”

Bowen gave up a home run in the top of the first, but Manhattan immediately got that run back on the first of Bowman's two blasts, a long shot to left center field.  Her second, a two-run drive to right, started a big third inning in which the Jaspers put up a six-spot.

After the home run, Babcock reached on an infield single and Amanda Paxson (Cedar Grove, N.J.) was hit by a pitch before Andi Stallard (Katy, Texas) crushed an RBI double to left field.  Sydney Weedon (Santa Ana, Calif.) drew a walk to load the bases, then two runs came across when Jocelin Whitmore (La Habra, Calif.) and Emily Cutler (Bloomingdale, N.J.) also earned free passes.  Bowman came up for the second time in the inning with the bases loaded, and she was hit by a pitch to drive in another run.

That was more than enough offense for Bowen, who retired nine of the next 10 Saint Peter's hitters after the first inning home run.  The Peacocks put a pair of runners on in the fourth, but failed to score, before finally breaking through in the sixth.  Nicole Olmedo hit a one-out double and Sierra Parker followed with a two-base hit of her own to cut the Peacocks' deficit to 7-2.  That would be it, however, as Bowen worked around three hits in the seventh to finish off the victory.

Bowman finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored and four RBIs in game one, while Babcock went 2-for-4 with a run scored and Stallard was 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI.  Bowen (5-4) tossed a complete game, yielding two runs on eight hits while striking out one and walking two.

Francesca D'Amato and Parker both had two hits for Saint Peter's.  One of D'Amato's hits was a solo home run.  Shelby Beaver took the loss for the Peacocks after surrendering seven runs and seven hits in 2.1 innings.  She also struck out one.  Tori Feorenzo yielded two hits, struck out one and walked two in 3.1 innings of scoreless relief.

The Peacocks also scored a first-inning run in game two, as Lee Harrison walked and D'Amato singled before Olmedo belted a double to center field.  Harrison easily scored on the play and D'Amato tried to come around all the way from first, but she was nailed at the plate by a perfect relay throw from Babcock.

Manhattan once again immediately countered in the bottom of the first.  Bowen led off with a single up the middle and Bowman followed with a walk.  After squaring to bunt on the first two pitches of her at-bat, Babcock received the sign to swing away, and she responding by delivering a three-run homer to deep left.

In the top of the third, Stephanie Gilronan hit a flare just over Bowen's outstretched glove that landed in shallow right field.  Gilronan aggressively tried to extend it to a triple, but was thrown out by Meghan McDevitt (Nutley, N.J.).  The Jaspers then added another tally without the benefit of a hit in the bottom half of the inning.  Stallard drew a one-out walk before moving all the way around to score on three successive wild pitches by Harrison.

Amy Bright (Manlius, N.Y.), meanwhile, was cruising in the circle.  After Gilronan was erased trying to extend her leadoff double in the third, Bright retired 14 of the final 16 batters she faced, yielding just a two-out single in the fourth and allowing Crews to reach on an error in the sixth.  She set the Peacocks down in order in the seventh to wrap up the 4-1 Manhattan victory and doubleheader sweep for the Jaspers.

The Jaspers were limited to four hits in game two, Babcock's home run, a Bowman double, and singles by Bowen and Whitmore.  The top four hitters in the Manhattan lineup each scored a run.  Bright (4-6) earned the win after allowing one run and scattering four hits while striking out three and walking one in a complete game effort.

Saint Peter's also finished with four hits in the second game.  Olmedo had an RBI double, while Harrison scored the Peacocks' only run.  Beaver (2-9) started both ends of the doubleheader for the Peacocks.  She also took the loss in game two after giving up three runs on three hits and walking one in 1.2 innings.  Harrison surrendered one run on one hit while walking three in 2.1 innings, and Erica Colon recorded a strikeout in two innings of perfect relief.

“It's important for us to keep putting runs on the board,” Pardalis said.  “We got solid pitching and solid defense today, and we kept putting runs up.”