Manhattan University Athletics

Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

HAMDEN, Conn. – On Saturday afternoon, the Manhattan College softball team (20-10, 10-0 MAAC) moved into sole possession of first place in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) for the first time this season by sweeping a doubleheader at Quinnipiac (9-28, 4-8 MAAC).  Briana Matazinsky (Valley Falls, N.Y.) had a pair of home runs, including a grand slam, in the first game, as she drove in all six runs in a 6-4 Jaspers victory.  She then earned the win in game two, a 3-2 Manhattan triumph, at QU Softball Field.

The Jaspers entered play on Saturday tied with Canisius for the top spot.  However, the Griffs were swept in their twinbill at Siena, which means Manhattan now has a two-game lead in the standings at the midway point of the conference season.  The regular season champion will host the MAAC Tournament.

Matazinsky hit the first of her two home runs in the second inning of game one.  After Stephanie Reinhardt's (Albany, N.Y.) two-out single to center, she went deep to left center for her third home run of the year, giving the Jaspers a 2-0 advantage.

Quinnipiac rallied to tie the game with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third, then the Bobcats took the lead with two more in the fifth.  After Nikki Barba singled and Hannah Lindsley doubled, the Jaspers walked Jordan Paolucci intentionally to load the bases with one out.  The next batter, Miranda Magana, sent a grounder to short and Manhattan got the out at home and Casey Herzog followed with a sinking line drive to center.  It looked like Emily Cutler (Bloomingdale, N.J.) had made an amazing inning-ending catch, but the ball bounced out of her glove for a go-ahead RBI single.  The Bobcats added another run when Sydney Robey walked before Abby Johnson flied out to end the inning.

Now trailing 4-2, the Jaspers responded immediately.  Jenn Vazquez (Fairfield, Conn.) drew a walk leading off the sixth, then Sydney Weedon (North Tustin, Calif.) and Reinhardt were both hit by a pitch, loading the bases with nobody out.  Matazinsky was up next, and she sent a line drive to almost the exact same spot in left center where her first home run landed.  The grand slam made it 6-4 Jaspers, and Amy Bright (Manlius, N.Y.) took care of the rest.  She worked around an error in the sixth, then, after the Bobcats got a one-out infield single in the seventh, Reinhardt turned a line drive into a double play that wrapped up Manhattan's ninth straight conference victory.

In addition to Matazinsky's two-home run, six-RBI performance, Vazquez had a pair of hits and Reinhardt scored twice in game one.  Bright (11-5) went the distance in the circle, allowing four runs on seven hits while striking out six and walking three.

For the Bobcats, Barba went 2-for-4 at the plate with a run scored.  In addition to finishing 1-for-3 with an RBI, Lindsley (4-11) took the loss in the circle.  She gave up six runs on six hits, struck out five and walked five in six innings.  Herzog pitched the seventh, surrendering a hit and registered two strikeouts.

Manhattan got on the board immediately in game two.  Cutler and Mickayla Romero (Las Vegas, Nev.) both walked, then Elena Bowman (San Mateo, Calif.) delivered a shot to center field.  She missed a home run by inches, settling for a two-run double that put the Jaspers up 2-0.  After Amanda Paxson (Cedar Grove, N.J.) and Vazquez walked to load the bases, Anna Crowley (Eastchester, N.Y.) roped an RBI single to center, chasing Robey from the circle without recording an out.  Herzog relieved her and got Reinhardt to line into a double play before striking out Matazinsky to end the inning without any more damage.

A Manhattan error led to an unearned run for the Bobcats in their half of the inning, and it would remain 3-1 until the bottom of the sixth.  Magana drew a leadoff walk and moved to second on Johnson's sacrifice bunt.  After Marisa Ascher went down looking, Lindsley ripped a pinch-hit RBI single to left field that cut the Jaspers' lead to 3-2.  An error put the go-ahead run on base before Reinhardt ended the inning when she snagged Barba's line drive.

After the Jaspers didn't score in the top of the seventh, Quinnipiac threatened again in its final at-bat.  Herzog started the inning with a single through the right side and Paolucci followed with a base hit to left.  Manhattan Head Coach Tom Pardalis then called upon Bright in relief of Matazinsky, and she got two outs on two pitches.  Johnson then struck out swinging, as Manhattan held on for a 3-2 victory and the doubleheader sweep.

As a team, Manhattan collected just three hits in game two.  Bowman's two-run double and the RBI single by Crowley both came in the first inning, while Vazquez had a two-out double in the third.  The only Manhattan base runner after the Vazquez double was Reinhardt, who reached on an error leading off the seventh.  Matazinsky (7-3) went six-plus innings in the circle, surrendering two runs (one earned) and eight hits with two walks and two strikeouts.  Bright picked up her third save after recording a strikeout in the seventh.

Paolucci had three of Quinnipiac's eight hits in game two.  Keilani Finley and Lindsley both collected RBIs, while Barba and Mangana scored the Bobcat runs.  In addition to going 2-for-4 at the plate, Herzog was excellent in seven full innings of relief.  She didn't allow a run and gave up just one hit while striking out four and not walking a batter.  Robey took the loss after putting all six hitters she faced on base.  She was charged with three runs on two hits and four walks.