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Box Score 2 Manhattan-Hartford Box Score
Manhattan-Binghamton Box Score
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – On Sunday afternoon, the Manhattan College softball team concluded its first weekend of the season with a pair of games at the Grand Park Athletic Complex. The Jaspers (2-2) began the day with a 15-8 victory over Hartford (1-7) before falling to Binghamton (8-6) by an 8-0 margin.
In the Jaspers' opening game, Hartford scored three unearned runs in the top of the first. However, Manhattan immediately countered with a four-spot in the bottom half of the inning. After Emily Cutler (Bloomingdale, N.J.), Elena Bowman (San Mateo, Calif.) and Jenn Vazquez (Fairfield, Conn.) all walked to load the bases with one out, Amanda Paxson (Cedar Grove, N.J.) sent a grounder back to the pitcher. The Hawks tried to get Cutler at home, but she beat the throw to the plate. Stephanie Reinhardt (Albany, N.Y.) then cleared the bases with a two-out triple down the left field line that made it 4-3 Jaspers.
Hartford retook the lead with a five-spot in the top of the second. Sawyer Fried had a three-run homer and Jamie Soles hit a two-run double during the rally. However, Manhattan struck back with six runs in the third. Once again, it was Bowman and Vazquez that started the rally, as they both drew a walk before Paxson singled to load the bases. A run came across when Briana Matazinsky (Valley Falls, N.Y.) was hit by a pitch, then Andi Stallard (Katy, Texas) deposited a grand slam over the left field wall. The Jaspers increased their lead to 10-8 when Bowman ripped an RBI single in her second plate appearance of the inning.
The pitchers then settled in, as the fourth and fifth frames were both scoreless. After Hartford was retired in the top of the sixth, Manhattan batted around again. Bowman started the rally with a single to left. Vazquez was then hit by a pitch and Paxson walked, bringing up Matazinsky with the bases full and nobody out. And she came through with an RBI single. Reinhardt followed with her second extra-base hit of the game, a double to the gap in right center that knocked in two runs. Matazinsky scored on a passed ball, and Manhattan capped the scoring on a pinch-hit RBI double by Meredith Bryant (Brielle, N.J.).
Amy Bright (Manlius, N.Y.), who got the win in relief, worked around a leadoff single in the top of the seventh, as Manhattan picked up its second straight victory, 15-8. Bright (1-1) went six innings and surrendered two runs (one earned) on four hits with three walks and seven strikeouts. Matazinsky got the start in the circle, but couldn't get out of the second. She yielded six runs (three earned) on five hits, struck out three and walked three. Matazinsky also went 1-for-3 at the plate with two runs scored and a pair of RBIs.
Offensively, the Jaspers pounded out 10 hits. Reinhardt finished 2-for-4 with a run scored and five RBIs, while Stallard drove in four on her grand slam. Bowman reached base five times, going 2-for-2 with three walks. She also knocked in a run and scored twice. Vazquez and Paxson crossed the plate three times each, and Cutler ended up 1-for-3 with two runs scored.
For Hartford, Soles finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs, while Fried was 1-for-4 with a three-run homer. Peyton Fisher, Danielle DeMarco and Jackie Kelly all scored twice for the Hawks. Starting pitcher Kelsey Bird (1-2) lasted five innings. She took the loss after allowing 12 runs (11 earned) on seven hits and six walks. Lexi Wilkerson gave up three runs on three hits and walked three in one inning of work.
After Manhattan left two runners on in the top of the second against Binghamton, the Bearcats put up a five-spot in the bottom half of the inning. Bridget Hunt whacked a two-run triple, Gabby Bracchi hit an RBI single, and Sydney Harbaugh crushed a two-run homer to give the Bearcats a 5-0 lead. Binghamton then scored three times in the fifth to bring the game to an early conclusion.
As a team, the Jaspers were held to just three hits in the game—a first-inning single by Bowman and doubles by Cutler and Paxson. Danielle Gabriel (Island Heights, N.J.) (1-1) started in the circle and took the loss. She allowed five runs on five hits, walked four and struck out two in four innings. Erin Hamm (Collegeville, Pa.) gave up three runs on four hits while walking one over 0.2 innings in relief.
Binghamton had nine hits in the game. Hunt went 2-for-3 with a run scored and three RBIs, while Harbaugh was 2-for-3 with a run scored and two driven in. Griffin McIver, meanwhile, finished 1-for-1 with a walk, two runs scored and an RBI. Starting pitcher Cara Martin (3-1) tossed a five-inning complete game shutout for the Bearcats. She surrendered just three hits, walked three and struck out two.
Manhattan was originally scheduled to participate in the St. John's Invitational next weekend, but that tournament has been cancelled due to weather and field conditions. The Jaspers will instead play home games on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with the times and opponents still to be determined.
