Manhattan University Athletics

Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

FAIRFIELD, CT – On Saturday afternoon, the Manhattan College softball team traveled to Fairfield for an important Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) doubleheader.  After the Stags (19-25, 8-8 MAAC) notched a 2-0 victory in the first game, the Japers (28-16, 11-5 MAAC) rebounded to take game two at Alumni Softball Field by a 6-1 count.  With the split, second-place Manhattan remains one game behind first-place Iona in the MAAC standings.

In a first game that took just 63 minutes, Fairfield scored both of its runs in the bottom of the second.  After the Stags loaded the bases with one out, Rachel Sieber dropped a bloop single to right that knocked in a pair.  Manhattan escaped further damage, though, when Briana Matazinsky (Valley Falls, NY) induced a double play ground ball to end the inning.

That double play started a string of 14 consecutive outs for Matazinsky, who didn't allow a base runner after that.  However, the Manhattan offense was unable to get anything going against Fairfield starter Destinee Pallotto.  The Jaspers put runners on first and third after back-to-back singles by Christine Gebhardt (Middletown, NJ) and Matazinsky in the fourth, but they would prove to be Manhattan's last base runners.  Pallotto struck out Kat Prevo (San Diego, CA) to end the threat, then retired the Jaspers in order in each of the final three innings.

Matazinsky (13-5) suffered a tough-luck loss in the pitchers' duel.  She held the Stags to two runs and three hits—all in the second inning—struck out three and walked one.  Shannon Puthe (Mullica Hill, NJ) had the other Manhattan hit in the contest.

Pallotto (9-8) recorded two strikeouts and didn't issue a walk in the complete game three-hitter.  Gianna Kinhofer and Kristen Ball scored Fairfield's runs on the Sieber single.

After putting just four runners on base in the entire first game, the first four Jaspers to come to the plate all reached base in game two.  Puthe walked, Alexa Dawid (Milford, CT) singled and Matazinsky drew a walk to load the bases for Lauren Pitney (Ansonia, CT), who delivered an RBI single through the left side.  However, Manhattan would be held to one run, as Jenn Vazquez's (Fairfield, CT) line drive to short was snagged for an inning-ending double play.

Fairfield tied it on Ball's RBI double in the second, but the Jaspers responded with a four-spot in the third.  Gebhardt drew a two-out walk and Vazquez followed with a base hit before Dominique Palagruto (Sewell, NJ) delivered an RBI single to right.  After Stephanie Reinhardt (Albany, NY) was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Victoria Ross (Bloomfield, NJ) lifted a fly ball to center field that looked like it would end the inning.  It was dropped for a three-base error, though, giving Manhattan a 5-1 lead.

The Jaspers extended their cushion to 6-1 in the fifth when Gebhardt led off the inning with a solo home run to right.  That would prove to be more than enough offense for Nicole Williams (Ansonia, CT), who didn't give up a hit after Ball's RBI double in the second.  She worked around a one-out error in the seventh to close out the 6-1 victory and secure a doubleheader split.

Williams (8-6) allowed just one run on two hits to go along with three strikeouts and two walks in a complete game effort.  Manhattan belted out nine hits in the contest, with Dawid and Palagruto both finishing 2-for-4.  Palagruto also drove in a run and scored another.  Gebhardt, meanwhile, scored two runs, including her homer.

Kate Robinson had the other Fairfield hit, a second-inning single, while Kinhofer scored the Stags' run on the RBI double by Ball.  Ball also pitched a perfect seventh inning.  Karisa Hugen (6-10) got the start in the circle and lasted 2.2 innings.  She surrendered five runs (two earned) on six hits, struck out two and walked three.  Pallotto, who tossed a complete game in the opener, provided 3.1 innings of relief in game two.  She yielded one run on three hits and picked up a strikeout.