Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – The Manhattan College softball team played its first road Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) doubleheader of the season on Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately, though, the Jaspers (9-18, 1-2 MAAC) were unable to get by defending conference champion Marist (9-16, 3-0 MAAC), as the Red Foxes posted a 6-3 victory in the opener of the twinbill then took game two at the Softball Park at Gartland Field by a 5-1 count.
Solo home runs by Amanda Paxson (Cedar Grove, N.J.) and Andi Stallard (Katy, Texas) gave the Jaspers a 2-0 lead in game one before Marist tied it on Janna Korak's two-run shot in the bottom of the third. After getting out of a first-and-second, one-out jam in the fifth with a pair of ground balls to short, Manhattan went back in front when Elena Bowman (San Mateo, Calif.) crushed her eighth home run of the season in the top of the sixth.
After Alyssa Zahka grounded out to start the bottom of the sixth, Maureen Duddy hit one down the third base line that glanced off the top of Mickayla Romero's (Las Vegas, Nev.) outstretched glove and ended up in the left field corner for a double. Kyrsten Van Natta then reached on an error before Taylor Kuzma grounded out. Korak was up next, and she took a pitch that Manhattan starter Kate Bowen (Newtown, Conn.) thought was an inning-ending called third strike. However, the pitch was ruled a ball, and Korak smacked Bowen's next offering down the left field line for a go-ahead two-run double. Aly Klemmer followed with an infield single, and Korak scored from second on the play, while Nicole Cheek added an RBI single that gave the Red Foxes an insurance tally. Manhattan was sent down in order in the seventh, as Marist notched a 6-3 victory.
The 1-5 batters in the Manhattan lineup each had a hit, with Bowen and Jenn Vazquez (Fairfield, Conn.) collecting singles to go along with the three solo home runs. Bowen (5-5) took the loss after giving up six runs, only two of which were earned, on 11 hits in 5.2 innings. She also walked three and struck out one. Danielle Gabriel (Island Heights, N.J.) came in to record the final out.
Klemmer finished 3-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI, while Korak was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and four RBIs. As a team, Marist had 11 hits in the contest. Janine Lalli (4-3) earned the win in the circle after surrendering three runs on five hits with six strikeouts and a walk in seven innings.
Manhattan got on the board first again in game two. Stephanie Reinhardt (Albany, N.Y.) drew a two-out walk in the second, and Meredith Bryant (Brielle, N.J.) followed with a double down the left field line. Mickayla Romero (Las Vegas, Nev.) then delivered a single to right that knocked in Reinhardt. Bryant tried to score from first on the play, but was thrown out at the plate to end the inning.
Marist tied the game on Taylor Kuzma's RBI single in the third, then went up 4-1 when Kuzma belted a three-run homer to left center in the fifth. The Red Foxes added another run in the sixth on an RBI groundout by Kyrsten Van Natta.
Meanwhile, Marist pitcher Paige Lewis retired 12 straight Jaspers after Romero's RBI single. The string was finally broken when Paxson was hit by a pitch leading off the seventh. Stallard then drew a one out walk, putting runners on first and second. It looked like the Jaspers would send the tying run to the plate when Reinhardt sent a line drive towards center field. However, it was snagged by Van Natta at shortstop, and she flipped to second for a game-ending double play. With the 5-1 win, Marist completed its first sweep of Manhattan since 2006.
The Jaspers were held to just two hits in game two, the back-to-back knocks by Bryant and Romero. Amy Bright (Manlius, N.Y.) (3-9) started in the circle and took the loss. She lasted 4.1 innings, giving up four runs on seven hits, striking out two and walking one. Gabriel tossed 1.2 innings of relief, surrendering one run on three hits with a walk and a strikeout.
For the Red Foxes, Kuzma ended up 2-for-4 with a run scored and four RBIs, and Duddy also collected a pair of hits. Van Natta, meanwhile, was 1-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI. Lewis (4-4) was excellent in the circle. She allowed just four Jaspers to reach base on two hits, a walk and a hit by pitch. Lewis was charged with one run, struck out three and walked two in a complete game effort.
On Monday, the Jaspers will complete the contest with Quinnipiac (7-22, 3-4 MAAC) that was suspended due to rain on March 30. The Bobcats had a 1-0 lead and the bases loaded with one out in the top of the fourth inning when the game was halted. It will be picked up from that point at 1 p.m.