Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. – On Saturday afternoon, the Manhattan College softball team came from behind to notch a 4-3, eight-inning victory in the first game of a doubleheader against Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) rival Rider at Herb & Joan Young Field. The Jaspers (17-21, 7-5 MAAC) then finished off the sweep by posting a 6-2 win over the Broncs (4-31, 2-6 MAAC) in game two.
After leaving the bases loaded in the top of the first in game one, Manhattan committed three errors in the bottom half of the inning, leading to three Rider runs. The Jaspers got one back in the top of the second, though. Stephanie Reinhardt (Albany, N.Y.) led off the inning with a single up the middle and Mickayla Romero (Las Vegas, Nev.) followed with a base hit of her own. Sydney Weedon (Santa Ana, Calif.) then walked to load the bases before Amy Bright (Manlius, N.Y.) lifted a sacrifice fly to center.
Rider loaded the bases with two down in the bottom of the fifth, but Kate Bowen (Newtown, Conn.) got out of the jam when Megan McDonough's foul ball to left was caught by Andi Stallard (Katy, Texas). Stallard then started the game-tying rally with a leadoff double in the sixth. She came around to score on a Reinhardt single. There was an error on the play, allowing Reinhardt to move all the way to third. After Romero and Weedon both popped up, Bright smacked a double to right center that evened the score at 3-3.
In the bottom of the seventh, Delany DeMello, Rider's starting pitcher, lifted a two-out single to left field. However, she was thrown out trying to stretch it to a double, sending the contest into extra innings. Manhattan then took the lead with an unearned tally in the top of the eighth. Reinhardt reached on an error to start the rally, and she scored on Bright's single to center. Bowen retired the Broncs in order in the bottom of the eighth, finishing off a 4-3 victory.
Bright, who's known more for her arm, contributed with her bat in game one, going 2-for-3 with three RBIs. Reinhardt was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI, while Stallard and Bowen each had a hit. Bowen (9-6) also went the distance in the circle. She was charged with three unearned runs on seven hits, struck out two and walked two.
DeMello (2-10) hurled a complete game for the Broncs, giving up four runs (three earned) on seven hits with three strikeouts and seven walks. She also had three of Rider's seven hits, finishing 3-for-4 with an RBI. Kehli Washington, Amanda Irving and Dana Sensi were all 1-for-3 with a run scored.
The Jaspers struck first in game two, putting a pair of unearned runs on the board in the top of the second. After back-to-back singles by Stallard and Reinhardt, Romero reached on an error. Stallard scored on the play and Reinhardt moved to third. She came around one batter later on Anna Crowley's (Eastchester, N.Y.) sacrifice fly to center. The lead doubled to 4-0 in the third when Elena Bowman (San Mateo, Calif.) connected for her ninth home run of the season, a two-run shot to right center.
The Broncs got one back on Sensi's RBI single in the bottom of the third, but Bright continued swinging a hot bat in the top of the fourth, helping her own cause with an RBI double to center. In the sixth, Reinhardt ripped a leadoff double, moved to third on a groundout, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Kelsey Brennan (East Windsor, N.J.). Back-to-back singles and an error led to a Rider run in the bottom of the seventh before Bright retired DeMello on a groundout to wrap up the 6-2 victory and Manhattan's first sweep of a road doubleheader this season.
Reinhardt went 2-for-3 again in game two, giving her four hits on the day. She also scored twice. Bowman finished 1-for-3 with her two-run homer, while Bright was 1-for-3 with an RBI. Bright (7-11), the reigning MAAC Pitcher of the Week, threw a complete game in the circle. She allowed two unearned runs on eight hits, struck out six and walked two.
For Rider, which outhit Manhattan 8-7 in the contest, Irving finished 2-for-4, while Sensi was 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Starting pitcher Megan McDonough (0-4) lasted four innings. She yielded five runs (three earned) and five hits, struck out two and walked two. Kaitlyn Kallert surrendered one run and one hit while also recording a strikeout in two innings of work. Megan Ailand gave up one hit in the seventh.
Manhattan returns to Gaelic Park on Wednesday for a 3 p.m. doubleheader with Iona (13-20, 7-5 MAAC). The Jaspers and Gaels are currently tied for fourth place in the MAAC, with the top six teams advancing to the MAAC Tournament.