Manhattan University Athletics

Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

RIVERDALE, N.Y. – The Manhattan College softball team welcomed Columbia to Gaelic Park for a non-conference doubleheader on Tuesday afternoon.  After taking the first contest by a 5-1 count, the Jaspers (13-9) saw their nine-game home winning streak snapped in the nightcap, as Columbia (9-17) came away with a 3-1 triumph.

After the Lions got on the board first in game one, the Jaspers plated three unearned runs in the bottom of the second inning.  Amanda Paxson (Cedar Grove, N.J.) led off the inning with a single, then Jenn Vazquez (Fairfield, Conn.) reached on an error before Sydney Weedon (North Tustin, Calif.) bunted the runners over to second and third.  Stephanie Reinhardt (Albany, N.Y.) followed with a grounder deep to the hole at short that went for an RBI infield single, tying the game at 1-1.  Manhattan took the lead on an RBI single by Andi Stallard (Katy, Texas) ripped an RBI single to left and added another tally on Emily Cutler's (Bloomingdale, N.J.) base hit to center.

Another Columbia miscue led to two more Manhattan runs in the third.  Reinhardt reached on the error leading off the inning and Anna Crowley (Eastchester, N.Y.) followed with an infield single.  After a Stallard sacrifice advanced the runners, Mickayla Romero (Las Vegas, Nev.) knocked them both in with a two-out double to left center.

Meanwhile, Amy Bright (Manlius, N.Y.) was cruising in the circle.  She retired 13 straight Lions between Taylor Troutt's RBI single in the second and Kerry Cook's base hit leading off the seventh.  Columbia ended up loading the bases in the inning before Bright induced a Liz Caggiano popup to seal Manhattan's fifth straight win, a 5-1 triumph.

Stallard finished 2-for-2 with an RBI, while Cutler went 2-for-4 with an RBI in game one.  Romero was 1-for-2 with two RBIs, and Reinhardt ended up 1-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI.  Bright (8-4) tossed a complete game, yielding one run on four hits.  She struck out one and didn't walk a batter.

Columbia recorded just four singles in the game.  Troutt collected the Lions' only RBI, while Shelby Unger scored the Columbia run.  Tonia Wu (4-8) took the loss after allowing five unearned runs on eight hits with four strikeouts and two walks.

In game two, the Jaspers took a 1-0 lead on Vazquez's second-inning home run, and it looked like that margin might hold up, as Briana Matazinsky (Valley Falls, N.Y.) faced the minimum thru five.  Caggiano broke up the perfect game with a one-out single in the third, but she was erased on a double play.

However, the Lions finally got to the Manhattan hurler in the sixth.  After a leadoff error, Caggiano reached when she popped up a bunt that went just over Matazinsky's outstretched glove and landed for a hit.  Mackensy Lakian then successfully dropped down a bunt, and Columbia tied the game on Alix Cook's groundout.  Kayla Shimoda followed with a double to right center, giving the Lions a 2-1 lead.

Matazinsky gave up a leadoff single to Madison Gott in the seventh, prompting Head Coach Tom Pardalis to call on Bright out of the bullpen.  She gave up a single and a walk to the first two batters she faced, loading the bases for Troutt, who sent a ground ball towards short.  Reinhardt made the only play she had—the force at third, allowing Columbia to score another run.

With the Jaspers now down 3-1, Reinhardt kept her team alive with a two-out double in the bottom of the seventh.  However, she was left stranded on second, as Elena Bowman (San Mateo, Calif.) grounded out to end the game, snapping Manhattan's winning streak.  It was just the second home loss of the season for the Jaspers, who hadn't dropped a game at Gaelic Park since March 14.

Cutler had another 2-for-4 effort in game two.  Reinhardt also finished 2-for-4, as the Jaspers outhit the Lions 8-5.  Matazinsky (4-3) took the loss after allowing three runs (one earned) on four hits with four strikeouts and no walks in six-plus innings.  Bright gave up a hit and a walk in one inning of relief.

For Columbia, Caggiano ended up 2-for-3 with a run scored, while Shimoda was 1-for-3 with an RBI.  Troutt, meanwhile, had an RBI and scored a run.  Tessa Kroll (5-6) earned the win in the circle.  She yielded eight hits, but only one run in a complete game effort.  Kroll struck out five and didn't walk a batter.