Manhattan University Athletics

HAMDEN, Conn. – With its status for the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Tournament still up in the air, the Manhattan College softball team took on one of its soon-to-be conference opponents on Thursday afternoon, as the Jaspers concluded regular season with a doubleheader at Quinnipiac.  The Bobcats (16-32) won the first game by a 6-0 count before the Jaspers (21-25) rebounded to post a 6-5, eight-inning victory in the nightcap at QU Softball Field.

After Manhattan failed to score in the first inning of game one, the Bobcats put up a three-spot in the bottom half of the inning.  Quinnipiac extended its lead to 4-0 when Nikki Barba homered leading off the bottom of the third.  The Bobcats added two more in the fourth, as Courtney Solt tripled, then Lauren Salgado and Alex Alba each belted an RBI single to make it 6-0.

The Jaspers loaded the bases in the top of the seventh.  Elena Bowman (San Mateo, Calif.) started the rally with a one-out single, then Amanda Babcock (Haverstraw, N.Y.) singled up the middle and Amanda Paxson (Cedar Grove, N.J.) was hit by a pitch.  After Andi Stallard (Katy, Texas) lined to first, Sydney Weedon (Santa Ana, Calif.) hit a grounder to second.  Stallard was out on the fielder's choice, preserving a 6-0 victory for the Bobcats.

Manhattan was held to five hits in the contest, with Kate Bowen's (Newtown, Conn.) double representing the only extra-base hit.  Bowen ended the game 2-for-4 at the plate.  She also got the start in the circle and took the loss.  Bowen (9-9) allowed six runs on eight hits and walked four in 3.2 innings.  Amy Bright (Manlius, N.Y.) tossed 2.1 innings of scoreless relief.  She yielded just one hit and two walks while striking out three.

Quinnipiac collected nine hits as a team, with Salgado going 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI.  Alba was 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI, while Solt and Barba each scored twice.  Nicole Gubellini (3-3) walked three in a complete game five-hit shutout.

After having a base runner erased on a double play in each of the first two innings in the second contest, the Jaspers broke through for two runs in the top of the third.  Jocelin Whitmore (La Habra, Calif.) led off the inning with a double and moved to third on Mickayla Romero's (Las Vegas, Nev.) sacrifice bunt.  Anna Gallacher (New Fairfield, Conn.) was up next, and she beat out a bunt on a squeeze play for an infield single, allowing Whitmore to score.  Manhattan loaded the bases on a Bowen single and a Bowman walk before Babcock deposited a base hit into left field, scoring Gallacher.

The Bobcats got one back with an unearned tally in the bottom of the third, but Manhattan responded with another run in the fourth.  Whitmore singled with two out and Romero followed with an RBI double to center field.

Quinnipiac cut its deficit to 3-2 with a run in the fifth before the Jaspers countered with a two-spot in the top of the sixth.  Whitmore started the rally with a leadoff single, then Gallacher was hit by a pitch and Bowen walked to load the bases.  Two runs came across on Bowman's infield single, but that's all Manhattan would get, as Sydney Robey struck out Babcock and got Meghan McDevitt (Nutley, N.J.) top pop up, ending the inning.  Her team then scored three runs in the bottom half of the frame to knot the score at 5-5.

The Jaspers went down in order in the top of the seventh, and Bright worked around a leadoff walk in the bottom half, sending the contest into extra innings.  Romero began the eighth with an infield single, then was lifted for pinch runner Emily Cutler (Bloomingdale, N.J.).  After Cutler traded places with Gallacher on a fielder's choice, Bowen singled (her fourth hit of the game) and Bowman walked to load the bases.  Gallacher was retired at home when Babcock sent a grounder towards third, but the Jaspers plated the go-ahead run when the next hitter, McDevitt, drew a walk.  Bright retired the Bobcats 1-2-3 in the bottom half of the inning to close out the 6-5 victory.

Bowen had four of Manhattan's 12 hits in the contest.  She finished 4-for-5 with a run scored.  Whitmore was 2-for-3 with three runs scored, while Gallacher went 1-for-3 with an RBI and also scored twice.  Romero added two hits, going 2-for-3 with an RBI, and Babcock finished 2-for-5 with an RBI.  Bowman added two RBIs.  Kelsi Redding (Tucson, Ariz.) started in the circle and allowed five runs (four earned) and eight hits while striking out three and walking four in 5.2 innings.  Bright earned the win after 2.1 innings of scoreless, one-hit relief.  She walked two and struck out one.

For Quinnipiac, Alba and Solt each went 3-for-5 at the plate.  Alba also drove in a run, while Solt had an RBI and three runs scored.  Starting pitcher Hannah Lindsley went 4.2 innings.  She gave up three runs on nine hits, struck out two and walked two.  Robey (6-7) took the loss after surrendering three runs on four hits with three strikeouts and three walks in 3.1 innings.