Jaspers Open Home Schedule With Sweep of Hartford

RIVERDALE, N.Y. – After a seemingly endless string of weather-related postponements, cancellations and rescheduled games to open the season, it was absolutely beautiful for the Manhattan College softball team's home-opening doubleheader on Tuesday.  And the Jaspers (2-6) relished the opportunity to play at Gaelic Park for the first time this season, scoring a combined 17 runs in a sweep of Hartford (2-6).  Manhattan mounted an 11-6 victory in game one, then recorded a 6-1 triumph in the nightcap.

In fact, even this twinbill wasn't on the Jaspers' original schedule.  It was only added on Monday as a makeup for the doubleheader Manhattan and Hartford were supposed to play last Tuesday.

“It was frustrating,” Head Coach Tom Pardalis said about the numerous schedule adjustments.  “You gear up to start a season, and the first week went by, then the second week went by, so we almost got flat.  It really hurt.”

Manhattan scored in every inning of game one.  After giving up a run in the top of the first, the Jaspers responded with two on Andi Stallard's (Katy, Texas) bases-loaded single.  The Hawks evened the score in the top of the second before Manhattan regained the lead when Elena Bowman (San Mateo, Calif.) drove in Amy Bright (Manlius, N.Y.).  Each team added a run in the third, then Hartford recorded a pair of unearned tallies in the top of fourth to go ahead 5-4.

The Hawks wouldn't have the lead for long, though, as Jenn Vazquez (Fairfield, Conn.) crushed her first career home run, a three-run shot to left center in the bottom half of the inning.  Manhattan added three more in the fifth.  Amanda Paxson (Cedar Grove, N.J.) was hit by a pitch with two out and Mickayla Romero (Las Vegas, Nev.) followed with a walk.  After Stallard singled to load the bases, Stephanie Reinhardt (Albany, N.Y.) crushed a triple to right field that brought home all three runners and gave the Jaspers a 10-4 lead.  The Jaspers picked up one more in the sixth when Romero drew a bases-loaded walk.

Hartford put together a rally in the top of the seventh.  Jackie Kelly reached on a leadoff error, then, after a pair of walks, Genevieve Morneau-Vallaincourt's fourth single of the day brought the Hawks within 11-6.  With the bases still loaded and the tying run on deck, Bright struck out Margaret Betz and Amber Andrews.  Jenice Aloyo then hit a line drive towards third that Romero caught in foul territory to wrap up Manhattan's first victory of the season.

Seven different Jaspers had a hit in game one, with Stallard, Reinhardt and Vazquez collecting two hits apiece.  Stallard and Vazquez each drove in three, while Reinhardt knocked in two and scored twice.  Kate Bowen (Newtown, Conn.) also scored two runs, as eight of the nine Manhattan starters crossed the plate at least once.  Bowen (1-2) picked up the win in the circle, as well.  She went four innings and gave up five runs (three earned) on seven hits, struck out two and walked two.  Bright earned the save after allowing one unearned run and three hits while striking out four and walking three in three innings.

Morneau-Vallaincourt went 4-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI for the Hawks.  Andrews finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI, while Aloyo also recorded two hits.  Starting pitcher Ana Alberti tossed 2.2 innings.  She yielded four runs on seven hits, struck out one and walked one.  Kaitlyn Meade (0-2) took the loss after surrendering seven runs on three hits with six walks and a strikeout in 3.1 innings of work.

Andrews and Aloyo started game two with back-to-back singles, but Manhattan recorded the first out when Andrews was gunned down at home on an attempted double steal.  Jaspers pitcher Danielle Gabriel (Island Heights, N.J.), who was making her first collegiate start, the struck out Sawyer Fried and Chelsey Mooney to get out of the inning unscathed.

Gabriel's offense then helped her out in the bottom of the first.  After Bowman's one-out single to right, Paxson delivered a deep home run to left center that made it 2-0 Jaspers.  Paxson was at the heart of another Manhattan rally in the second.  The Jaspers increased their lead to 3-0 on Bowen's RBI double, then Bowman drew a walk to put two runners on for Paxson, and she crushed a double to left center.  Bowen scored on the play, but Bowman was thrown out trying to score from first to end the inning.

That was all the offense Gabriel needed, as she cruised through the middle innings, retiring six straight Hawks between two-out singles in the second and fourth.  Hartford got on the board with an unearned run in the fifth, but the Jaspers added two more in the sixth. 

Bowman started the rally with a single, and she ended up on third after the ball was misplayed.  Paxson then delivered her fourth RBI of the game when her blooper behind first base rolled to the wall in right field for a triple.  Romero followed with an RBI single to increase Manhattan's lead to 6-1.  Gabriel issued a walk in the top of the seventh before striking out the final two hitters to earn her first collegiate victory.

Gabriel (1-0) ended up with eight strikeouts and just three walks in a complete game effort.  She scattered six hits and allowed one unearned run.  Offensively, Paxson finished a single short of the cycle in game two, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored and four RBIs.  Bowman was 3-for-3 with two runs scored, while Romero had two hits and drove in a run.  Manhattan had 11 hits in game two and 21 total in the doubleheader.

Meghan Wynn and Marisa Ferguson had two hits apiece for Hartford, and Ferguson scored the Hawks' only game two run.  Lexi Wilkerson (1-2) went all six innings in the circle, surrendering six runs on 11 hits, striking out two and walking four.